


Hammerfall

by kittykatknits



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, And They Aren't Fine, Angst, F/M, It's a comet, Its the End of the World as They Know it, Smut, Some Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2018-10-26 19:19:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 75,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10793091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittykatknits/pseuds/kittykatknits
Summary: Jon and Sansa are busy with their lives in Winterfell and White Harbor, unaware of the danger that would soon be upon them.Then, one day, Jon's friend Sam issues a terrible warning, leading him and his best friend, Robb to begin quietly making plans. As the day of Hammerfall grows closer, they are left with one problem, Sansa refuses to come home. With time running out, Jon goes to rescue Sansa before it is too late.In the horror that follows, Jon and Sansa realize that surviving Hammerfall was the easy part. It's the day after when the real work begins.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A few things:  
> 1\. The first two chapters of this are a prologue. The main story will start with chapter three.  
> 2\. The geography and climate around Winterfell is a bit different than it is in the books. The White Knife and wolfs wood exist but there are some differences. I'll reveal it in the story but putting this out there now in case there are questions.  
> 3\. I found my old copy of Lucifer's Hammer last week which led to this. It's horribly dated in some ways but it gave me ideas. For those who may have read it, this is going to be a very different story than the book. I'm just taking the comet and leaving the dictaphones and facsimiles behind.

_In the darkness, a mass of  ice, dust, and rock was content  to drift along in its orbit as it had since birth. It had little care for the green and blue mass so far away, so small it could not yet be seen._

 

**_Eleven Months until Hammerfall_ **

All Jon wanted to do was hide away on his ranch forever and now his best friend was asking for the stupidest favor ever. “Why do you need me for sheriff? There has to be at least one other person in the entire county who could do the job. Pick one.”

Robb took a sip of his beer. “No one I trust as much. Besides, your name is being brought up by others, not just me. Not my fault your last name is Snow.”

They were sitting on the back porch of Jon’s house, looking over his yard towards the barn, turned grey from the aging wood. It was a late afternoon, the air hot and dry with just enough of a breeze to play with Robb’s dark auburn hair.

“Don’t I get a vote?” He scratched at his beard, the damned thing should just be shaved off in this heat.

“Ok, let me put it this way.” Robb put the brown bottle down on the table between them before turning to better face him. “This is going to sound crazy, I know it. We’re both too young, too inexperienced, I get it. Something bad is coming, I don’t know what or when but I’ve got a feeling. Like I said, crazy.”

Jon sighed. This was a pointless conversation, Robb always got his way. “Yeah, crazy. You know I have work here that needs doing, right?”

“Arya is back home, she can run things for you as well as anyone and it’s not like you can’t afford to pay her.”

He didn’t have an argument for that. Neither the Snows or Starks were rich exactly, but their families went several generations back, they had built up some wealth. Between them, they had been state senators, town majors, business owners, lawyers, sheriffs, and more. They also owned over half the land in the county. Only, Jon was the last of his family. He’d once hoped to marry Sansa but that had been a foolish wish.

“So when do I start?”

**_Nine Months until Hammerfall_ **

Sansa drove up to the Locke estate and stopped before the waiting valet, placing her car in park before getting out to hand her keys to the waiting young man. He looked barely old enough to drive.

The house, a mansion really, was completely lit up. She could hear music as well as the babble from the masses of people that lay inside. She walked towards the door, knowing her friend Margaery waited for her inside and entered to find the finest of White Harbor society.

Several men turned to look her way as Sansa grabbed a glass of champagne from a nearby waiter and went in search of her friend. She knew she looked beautiful in her dark blue dress. It  was sleeveless, with ruffles that extended from her shoulders and crossed at her chest, showing off a good amount of cleavage. The short skirt and matching heels completed her look.

Snippets of conversation drifted past as she wandered amongst the rooms.

“I expect we’ll be hearing good things from Hightower Industries soon, their new CEO is supposed to be a turnaround expert.”

“Did you hear Doran Martell filed for divorce, after all these years? If it could happen to her, it could happen to any of us.”

“I put a bid in on that new project in Winterfell. Robb Stark is an ambitious one, I heard it's the new sheriff who helped make it happen.”

Sansa stopped to listen for more but the two men, both strangers, moved out of hearing distance. An image of Jon the last time she saw him burst into her head, shirtless, his curls still messed so soon after waking. She had not seen Jon in over three months and avoided mentioning his name when calling back home.

“Sansa!”

She turned around at the sound of her name. Margaery stood next by a table talking to an incredibly attractive man.

“I’ve been looking for you, “ she said in way of greeting.

“Sansa, I’d like you to meet Harry.”

She stuck out her hand to shake his before giving a polite smile. “Hello, Harry.”

**_Seven Months Until Hammerfall_ **

Jon woke to the ringing phone by his bed. He looked at his alarm clock to see it was two in the morning before answering.

“JON!”

“Sam? What the hell?”

“Sorry, I know it’s late.” That was typical, Sam tended to forget sleep habits when he got lost in one of his projects.

“Someone better be dead. Is anyone dead?”

“What? No, this is better, way better.”

“I’m going to hang up unless you get to the point.” Jon could feel the sleep leaving him and knew he’d probably be awake for the rest of the night now.

“I’ve discovered a comet, I wasn’t sure at first, but it’s real and I was the first to spot it. It’ll be named after me too, Tarly’s Comet. Can you imagine that?” Sam worked for JPL, Jon didn’t know exactly what he did but it involved space. His friend was the smartest man he’d ever met and one of the kindest.

“That’s great, Sam. I’m really proud of you. Is this comet going to hit us in the next week or so?”

“No, no. Nothing like that. It’ll get close, incredibly close, I’m hoping we learn a lot about it.”

“Congratulations, Sam. I’d love to hear more but right now, I need to go back to bed. Can I call you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I just realized the time, sorry about that. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Jon hung up to try and get a bit more sleep that night.

**_Six Months Until Hammerfal_ **

Sansa opened her front door for Margaery and her cousin Alla.

“We brought food! Well, junk food, really, the important kind.”

She took the grocery bag out of Alla’s hand before ushering the two of them into her apartment living room. Margaery’s cousin was spending the weekend with her in White Harbor. The girl was still to young to drink and rather shy so they had decided to entertain her with a girl’s night in.

“Good, pizza should be here soon.” Sansa walked into her kitchen to put the ice cream in the freezer and get a small bowl for the Hershey’s Kisses. Those were a favorite of hers. “Alla, did you want to watch Pride and Prejudice first or the new Cinderella?”

“Oh, pick Cinderella, the actor, Richard something, is positively heavenly on the eyes.” Margaery turned on her television and grabbed the DVD off the coffee table.

“Cinderella is fine,” said Alla, quietly.

“How’s your family? Have you called home lately?”

Her voice was neutral enough but Sansa heard the real question, she wanted to know about Robb. “Spoke to my mother yesterday actually. Everything is fine, she said Robb has been working long hours with Jon Snow lately on whatever it is they do.”

Margaery gave her a devilish grin, one eyebrow arched up. “Jon Snow you say. And how is he?”

“I wouldn’t know.” She turned her attention to Alla, not wanting to continue that line of conversation. “How is school going?”

“It’s good.”

“Have you decided where you’ll be going to college yet?”

“No,” the girl responded, shaking her head.

She heard a knock at the door, pizza had arrived.

**_Five Months Until Hammerfall_ **

“Your mom seems really tired. Is everything ok?”

“I’ve asked her several times, she says she’s just getting old. Honestly, my mother hasn’t really been the same since my dad died.”

Ned Stark had died suddenly of a heart attack almost seven years ago, it had been a shock to everyone that knew him. The man had been known and respected throughout Winterfell. His death had led to Robb taking over their family business and all the responsibilities that went with it. But a part of Catelyn Stark seemed to have died with her husband.

“I’ll be sure to thank her for dinner again before I go.” Jon ended up eating dinner at the Stark house a few days a week, it was usually the only home cooked meal he had. Other nights, he ate dinner standing up in his kitchen or grabbing something at one of the diners in Wintertown.

They were sitting in Robb’s home office, the very room that Ned Stark would often work in. The walls were a dark wood with brown leather furniture, a large oak desk dominating the space and a small fireplace against one wall.

They’d disappeared after dinner to talk over business, not just their personal holdings but those related to the county. It had taken Jon all of a day to figure out why Robb wanted him to take the damn sheriff job, it seemed the county was run by a bunch of idiots. That realization only made him hate the job more. Worse, they lived in a place where running a red light seemed to be the equivalent of a high crime and misdemeanor.

Jon grabbed the phone from his pocket when it started buzzing and looked at the screen. “It’s my friend Sam. Hold on a minute.”

Robb didn’t bother responding, merely nodding his head before focusing on his laptop screen.

“How are you Sam?”

“Jon! You’re not going to believe it.”

He pulled the phone away from his ear, his friend was practically yelling in his excitement. The noise even got Robb’s attention.

“I probably will.”

“I’m going to be on television. It’s a piece on the space program, they’ll be interviewing me over my comet.”

Jon went ahead and put his friend on speaker, Robb was listening anyways.

“It’s not going to hit us is it?”

He’d meant the question as a joke but Sam’s surprisingly long pause had him and Robb staring at each other.

“Sam?”

“What? Oh, yeah. No, it’s not going to hit us. The thing is going to get closer than we originally thought but it’ll still miss us by tens of thousands of miles. The tail will be visible here on the ground pretty easily. Earth will probably pass through the gas tail which is pretty amazing if you think about it.”

“You’re sure it’s not going to hit us?"

“Well, it’s not just me. It’s also several of the smartest people on this planet.” Sam’s defensiveness was pretty obvious, even through the phone.

“Hey, Sam. What would happen if the thing did hit us? Just out of curiosity.”

“Oh, Robb, good to talk to you again. Well, if it did hit us, which it won’t, that would really depend.”

“On what?” Jon asked.

“Well, the nucleus can be pretty fragile so it would likely break into several pieces. The fallout from impact would depend upon how many and where they land. This comet is big, really big. Most of it would probably land in the oceans, leading to tsunamis and sending large amounts of ocean water up into the atmosphere. The pieces that fall on actual land, well, it’d be bad.”

“How bad?”

“Everything around it instantly vaporized.”

“That’s pretty bad.”

*****

Sansa sat curled up on her couch, a blanket over her to watch some television before going to bed. She began flipping through the channels until a familiar face came on the screen. It had been over a year since she had seen him but she remembered Sam Tarly fondly.

She began listening to his interview but started to tune it out once he confirmed the comet would not be landing on them in the next few days.

_The frozen mass drifted in its orbit as it always had until a passing star, uncaring in its own journey, pulled the mass away from its familiar orbit towards a sun. One of the sun’s planets looked blue and green in the black vacuum of space. The frozen mass continued moving, past the sun, towards its final destination._

 


	2. Chapter 2

_The mass of ice and rock drifted on, content in its new orbit as it slowly approached a large, red planet. Solar winds began tearing away its coma, pulling off all that dust and gas to enlarge its tail._

 

**_Four Months Until Hammerfall_ **

Sansa was enjoying her weekend with the Tyrells at their estate in Highgarden, Margaery had invited her for a visit. They’d spent the morning horseback riding and now relaxed by the side of their pool.

“Well, should we do it then?” Asked Margaery.

“I think so, it’ll be a lot of work, but we’d be completely brilliant at it,” she answered. Sansa was beginning to feel excited. The two of the had been talking over the idea of opening a high-end fashion boutique in White Harbor for awhile. Between them, they knew every prominent family in the area and would have a good size clientele already.

“Is that a yes, then?” Marg sat up from her lounge chair, hopeful.

“Of course it’s a yes. It’s only been our dream for the past couple years.”

*****

Jon sat at his desk in Wintertown, going through paperwork. The job was pretty dull, crime was almost non-existent in the county, a couple stolen cars and some vandalism, the rare domestic dispute. It was easy but thoroughly uninteresting. He’d been mulling over whether to tell Robb he would refuse the position during the next election in a couple years.

He picked up the vibrating phone off his desk to see a text from Sam. That was strange, usually his friend waited until three in the morning to call. _I need to talk to you when no one is around. You free?_

Jon typed out a quick reply. _Alone in my office with the door closed._

His phone rang less than thirty seconds later.  “Sam, is everything ok?”

“Oh, yes, everything is fine. Gilly and little Sam are doing good. I may be getting a promotion here at work soon. How are you?”

Jon suppressed a sigh, his friend had never been one to get to the point. “I’m fine. Is this why you needed to call?”

“Oh, no..no, sorry about that. You remember that comet I told you about?”

“The one you said was definitely and completely going to miss us?"

Sam was quiet for a minute before answering, “That one. It will probably still miss but….”

“But, what? Should I be panicking?” Panic was a bit of a stretch but tense sounded about right.

“No, don’t panic, but the situation has changed a little. We’ve been calculating how close this thing is going to get. First, it was by hundred of thousands of kilometers and now the projected orbit has this thing coming within tens of thousands of kilometers. Here’s the thing…”

“What’s the thing?”

“As the comet comes closer, the range between us and it keeps getting closer. To be clear, our little planet is a tiny dot in the solar system so even that gap is a pretty big range with plenty of room for error. So, I’m probably worrying for nothing but if I’m wrong, if we’re wrong, then I need a favor.”

“Sure, anything.” As soon as Sam made the request, Jon knew who he needed to call next.

“If this continues, can I send Gilly and little Sam to you? Winterfell is going to be a lot safer than Oldtown will be.”

“What would happen to Oldtown?” Jon felt a growing tightness in the pit of his stomach.

“It’ll be gone, pretty quickly.”

“Sam, out of curiousity, what would happen to White Harbor?”

“It’s an oceanfront city, Jon.”

“Got it. And Sam, all of you are welcome, any time, you know that.”

“Thank you. I’ll keep you posted. And Jon?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t tell anyone, they won’t believe you and if was traced back to me, I could lose my job over it. Like I said, I’m panicking, it’s what I do.”

“I won’t tell anyone.” Jon glanced at the screen on his laptop to check the time, Robb should be available.

They said quick goodbyes and hung up. Jon sat still, trying to comprehend what he’d just heard. A part of him wanted to dismiss his worries, preparing for a comet sounded like something survivalists or a doomsday cult did. But, he also had no intention of dying anytime soon and Sansa lived in White Harbor.

He made a couple taps on his screen, Robb’s number was already in his favorites.

“What’s going on?”

“Robb, are you free? I think we need to talk.”

**_Two Months Until Hammerfall_ **

Their shop opening was now less than two weeks away, Sansa still could not quite believe it. They had managed to find a location in the trendy wolfsden district for decent rent and begun to build up their inventory.

“Is the pink too pink?”

Sansa took several steps back, taking in the freshly painted wall. “Its very….”

“Crap. It’s the color of Pepto-Bismol. This place will look like a medicine bottle when we’re done.” Marg had come to stand next to her, looking horrified.

“Nothing say high-end fashion like a diarrhea reminder. I think we need to take another visit to the paint store. I’ll drive.” Sansa picked up both of their purses from the work table that lay in the middle of the room, handing one to Marg. “Shall we go?”

“So, are you going to tell me about Harry or do I need to drag it from you?” She had introduced them at the Locke party several months back and had finally managed a double date two weeks ago.

“It’s only been two dates so far, there’s nothing to tell.”

**_One Month Until Hammerfall_ **

Jon ended his call before tossing the phone on his kitchen table and sitting in the chair closest to him. His foot absentmindedly tapped on the floor as he processed what Sam just told him.

Jon picked his phone up and stood, beginning to pace around the kitchen, from the oven to the back door and around to the refrigerator. “I just got off the phone with Sam,” he said, in lieu of a greeting.

“And?”

“His wife and kid will be here in two weeks, they're taking a plane”

Robb sighed through the phone. “What about him?”

“He’s following a week later.”

“So, he’s going to quit then?”

“Nope. He’s taking their car and driving up here, told me he has stuff we need. Sam’s leaving, Robb. He’s walking away.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

**_Two Weeks Until Hammerfall_ **

Sansa was beginning to regret her decision to visit her family back in Winterfell. Robb had been unbearable, his constant requests for her to take an extended vacation had become a trial.

“I already told you I can’t. Margaery’s brother is getting married that weekend, our store is my responsibility while she is away.”

“It’s just a store. Can’t you close it for a single weekend?”

Sansa placed the last of the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and closed it. “No, I can’t and stop it.” She took another sip of her coffee before asking, “What’s wrong with mom?”

“Nothing’s wrong, she just pushes herself too much.” Robb was leaning against the kitchen counter, following her movements as she straightened up the kitchen. There was a nervous energy to her brother that Sansa had been unable to identify.

“I’ll come back the weekend after and stay for a few days, take over mom’s work so she can rest some. Do you think she would like to come back with me for a visit?” The idea had just occurred to Sansa but it held a certain appeal. Away from all the responsibility of home, their mother might enjoy it.

“No.” The vehemence of his response surprised her. “I mean, Bran and Rickon will be coming home from school, she’ll want to see them.”

**_One Week Until Hammerfall_ **

Sansa picked up her phone but sent the call directly to voicemail when she saw Robb’s name on the screen. It was Friday night and Harry would be picking her up shortly.

She went back to scrolling through her Facebook feed on her laptop when a picture from Arya caught her attention. Jon was leaning against a fence and looking directly at the camera, unsmiling. He wore an old black t shirt and jeans. Sansa smirked, all he needed was a cowboy hat and boots and the look would be complete. She wondered if he still sported that farmer’s tan she’d once teased him over.

**_Six Days…_ **

Sansa glanced at the latest text message from Robb and began to reply when a customer entered the store. She set her phone down, the text message forgotten.

**_Four Days.._ **

Jon called for Gilly when he saw Sam’s van in the distance. A minute later, his friend had parked and greeted his wife and child.

“It’s good to see you again, Sam.” He stepped close and gave his old friend a casual hug.

“You as well. Thank you again for letting us stay here, I really appreciate it.” His friend looked the same as ever, brown hair and eyes, a kind smile for everyone. “Will you help me unpack?” He opened the back and side doors of his minivan.

“Crap, Sam, what is all that?” His friend’s van was full of so much stuff, the only space left was a small hole for the driver.

Sam patted his shoulder. “That is our future, everyone’s really. I'll explain as we bring it in.”

**_Three Days..._ **

“I put my gifts in your car. One is for the wedding. Will you make sure the other gets to Loras for me?”

“Of course I will. And tell Harry I said hello.” Margaery winked at Sansa before leaving.

Sansa looked at her ringing phone and sent it to voicemail.

**_Two Days…_ **

Jon stared at the space he used to call his living room. It now contained all the contents from Sam’s minivan, boxes sorted and stacked together.

“Jon, you in here?” He heard his front door open.

“In here,” he yelled out in answer to Robb’s question.

“I need a favor. Sansa isn’t coming.”

He turned around to face Robb. “I thought you were going to convince her to take a vacation or something?” He paused, taking in his friend’s appearance. Robb had worn the same clothes yesterday and his hair was a mess. “You look like shit.”

“I fell asleep at my desk and Sansa isn’t answering my calls.”

“You want me to go get her, don’t you?” It was an unnecessary question, he’d already decided to go as soon as Robb told him she was still in White Harbor.

He wondered how grateful she would be to see him again, he suspected not very.

**_One day…_ **

Jon sat in his truck, staring up at Sansa’s second floor apartment. He sent Robb a quick text letting him know he’d arrived before getting out and locking the door behind him.

He climbed the closest set of stairs and found the door with her number. Bracing himself, Jon knocked.

It opened and she stood before him, her expression changing from confusion to annoyance. “Jon Snow,” she said in a flat voice.

“Hi, Sansa. Can I come in?”

 _The comet’s tail grew in size so it became a visible object in the darkness of space. It quickly approached another planet, green and blue. The mass began to slowly break apart._  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note that I added a tag about Jon here. So, consider yourself warned.

_The coma broke apart, some pieces as small as a pebble. Others a kilometer or more. Chunks of rock and dirt falling, soon to be stopped by masses of blue, green, and brown on the planet surface._

**_18 Hours..._ **

Sansa sipped her hot coffee, enjoying the bitter taste of it. Her store did not open until noon that day so she had decided to spend her morning lazily seeing to a few neglected chores before taking a long shower and leaving for the day. She wore a pair of black yoga pants and a pink tank top, her hair pulled back into a simple pony tail.

She had the television on, the news playing in the background, as she moved about her apartment. There had been brief mentions of the comet discovered by Jon’s old friend Sam, she had listened the first time, but then tuned it out. After the third news cycle and the third mention of Sam Tarly, Sansa turned off her television and put in her old Phantom of the Opera CD instead.

At the sound of someone at her door, she went to open it, expecting a package delivery but it was not her usual UPS driver. Jon Snow stood before her, clad in black jeans and an old grey t shirt. She checked, and sure enough, he wore black boots as well. Sansa had not seen him in over a year but he looked as she remembered him, the same inky black hair and grey eyes. Once, Sansa would have said he had kind eyes.

“Jon Snow,’ she said in a flat voice.

“Hi, Sansa, Can I come in?”

She had never expected to see him so far from home. “If you’re lost, Winterfell is that way,” she said, sticking out her finger and pointing randomly to her left.

He took her hand in his own, turning so she pointed in the opposite direction. “Well no, Winterfell is that way. Close though.” He let go of her and began pulling the hair from his eyes. “Will you let me in? I need to talk to you.”

She moved away, leaving him to close the door and follow her in. “What did you need to talk about?”

“Has your brother spoken to you?”

“Robb? I’m ignoring him.”

He nodded. “Of course you are, that would explain it. So, you don’t know anything about my friend Sam and his comet, nothing at all?”

She looked at him quizzically. “I saw it on the news, should give us a pretty light show.”

“That’s all you know, nothing else then? “

“If you drove all the way here to talk about comets, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. I need to get ready for work soon.” Sansa felt herself growing impatient.

They had been standing across from one another by her dining table but she left him to walk back towards her door, hoping he would leave.

Jon blocked her path. “I’m sorry but you won’t be going to work today.”

Sansa felt the first tinge of anger since he had appeared before her. She frowned at him before choking out, “You need to go now.”

“I won’t be doing that either.” He took a step towards her. “Robb didn’t tell you? Not a word?” Jon began rubbing his neck, muttering quietly to himself before looking back at her. “Figures he’d leave it to me. I have something to tell you and I need you to listen.”

Sansa crossed her arms, not speaking.

He eyed her, taking the hint. “If you’ve been listening to the news at all, then you’ve heard Sam’s comet will be close, yeah? The news is wrong, Sansa, the damn thing is going to hit us. I’m taking you back to Winterfell with me.” He stopped, waiting for an answer.

She could not help herself, Sansa began to laugh. “I never took you for a practical joker. Did Arya come up with this?”

He pressed his lips into a flat line, hard enough she could see a bit of white before giving an annoyed sigh. “I'm not doing this,” he hissed, walking towards her bedroom.

“What are you doing?” She called after him, following behind.

“Packing your stuff. Where’s your suitcase?” Jon did not spare her a glance, looking under her bed before moving towards her closet and pulling the two suitcases she kept in the back corner. He threw them on her bed and moved to her dresser, pulling open a drawer and grabbing several of her shirts. Jon shoved them into her suitcase before grabbing more and doing the same.

Sansa shook herself, pushing away her shock at his actions. “Get out, get out of my house,” she screamed at him, shoving at his chest to push him towards her bedroom doorway.

Jon ignored her, grabbing her hands and shoving them behind her back so she could not move. “Not without you. I’m taking you to Winterfell, Sansa, whether you want to go or not. If you aren’t going to help, then sit on the bed where I can watch you.” He let go, pushing her towards the corner of her bed.

Sansa remained silent, waiting for her opportunity. She did nothing the first time he turned away, opening another drawer of pants and shorts. The second time Jon had his back to her, Sansa got up and sprinted towards her doorway. She almost made it to her living room before his hands enveloped her waist, tackling her to the floor. She landed with a heavy thump, knocking the breath from her.

Jon sat on her hips, her wrists in one of his hands. “I’ve fought men who are bigger and stronger than you.” He slowly stood up, pulling her to her feet with him.

They moved back towards her bedroom, her hands still trapped in his. Jon said nothing, opening a top drawer and moving items around until he found what he was looking for, pulling out a pair of pantyhose. Sansa grew sick to her stomach as she realized what he intended.

He shoved her towards the headboard, wrapping the pantyhose around her wrists and one of the bars, knotting the material and pulling it tight. She was sitting at an odd angle, partially facing the wall, requiring her to turn her head to see him.

Sansa yanked at the binding. “It’s pinching me.”

“You’ll live,” he snapped, not even bothering to glance at her.

She slumped forward, her arms hurting a bit from being tied. Sansa had thought Jon many things, a liar and a user, but never this. “Are you going to kill me?” She refused to cry, even if she couldn't keep the quiver from her voice.

Jon stopped abruptly, frowning at her. “Fuck, Sansa. We’re going to Winterfell, just as I said.” He approached her, squatting down until they were eye level. “I know you don’t believe it but I am trying to save you. It’s been awhile since we last saw each but you must know…” He did not finish, reaching out to stroke her hair.

Sansa glared at him, jerking her head away. He stood back up, exhaling loudly. She took advantage, kicking furiously at him and felt a vengeful satisfaction when he let out a sound, half squeal and half grunt. She’d found her target.

Jon bent over, letting out a long groan, cupping himself. “What the fuck,” he hissed.

She ignored him, working at her bound hands instead but had made no progress when she felt him grabbing at her legs. Sansa panicked and began to wordlessly scream, suddenly realizing she could no longer move her legs. He had tied them together as well.

One of his hands covered her mouth to silence her. “Will you stop? I’m not going to hurt you.” He slowly pulled his hand away, his breath heavy. “Robb sent me to come get you. Say you believe me,” he pleaded.

Sansa stared dully up at the ceiling, ignoring him. She had believed in him once, but Jon Snow was not a good man.

Jon grew impatient waiting for an answer, scowling at her before continuing, “Suit yourself. So, here’s the plan. I’m going to pack up your clothes and whatever you need from your bathroom and take all that to my truck. If there is something you want to take with, better let me know soon. You’re going to lay there and wait until I’m done.” He grabbed her chin, making her look at him. “I am taking you home. The only choice you have in the matter is whether I do it with you hog tied or not.”

He moved away from her, back towards her dresser. “One more thing, you start yelling again and I’ll gag you. I bet you believe that.”

She did believe it. Sansa blinked rapidly, it was growing more difficult to keep the tears away. She felt a fit of hysterics come on her, she’d once had fantasies of Jon coming to White Harbor to whisk her away. Those silly fantasies had somehow turned into a nightmare.

**_17 Hours..._ **

Jon had the drawer she kept her underwear and bras in, grabbing several and tossing them into the suitcase. “You have more than twice as much clothes as I do. Is there anything useful in your closet, all I saw was a bunch of fancy-.”

He stroked her red lace bra, looking dumbfounded. “Do you still have the match?” He found the matching panties and carefully placed both items together in her suitcase, stroking them with one finger. “You were so beautiful,” he whispered before shaking himself and going back to his task.

“You could pack a bit neater.”

“What?” She’d surprised him.

“You’re wrinkling everything.”

Jon did not respond to her but she could see him at least straighten a few things.

“One more thing.”

“One more thing…” he echoed.

Sansa looked directly at him for the first time since he’d tied her up. “I want a shower and I want to put on new clothes.”

“You’re joking,” he snorted.

“I want a shower. If you’re going to drag me halfway across the north, I want to be clean and I want to wear one of my dresses,” she bit at him.

Jon gave her a flat look. “Fine.” He walked towards her closet, returning with a plain blue sundress. “Will this work?”

She nodded her head in response. He said nothing, leaving the room for a minute before returning.

“I’ll be right back.” Jon gave no further explanation but she heard him leave the apartment. Suddenly, the place grew eerily quiet, she could hear the quiet hum of her air conditioning. Sansa began struggling against the ties, even knowing it was a wasted effort.

“You won’t get out of those, no point in trying.” He stood in her doorway, Sansa had not even heard him return. He went to her closet, pulling items of clothing at random and placing them in her suitcase. She noted Jon took some care in packing this time. “Anything special you want to take with?”

Sansa closed her eyes before answering. “My birth control pills. They’re in my bathroom drawer. There are pads in the lower cabinet. In the living room, pictures of my father.” She felt humiliated, that only made her hate him more.

He left and came back, taking multiple trips. “I put your pills in your purse so they are close.”

Jon came and sat by her on the bed, she scooted away from him. “Sansa, look at me,” he sighed.

She closed her eyes again.

“Fine. Stay tied up if that’s what you prefer.” He moved away from her. “I’m taking your stuff to my car. When I get back, you get your shower and then we go. You do it the way I want and you'll get a bit of privacy,” he barked at her before grabbing her suitcases and leaving once again.

Sansa opened her eyes and began to scoot towards the edge of the bed, rolling off when she reached the edge. Then, suddenly, she was being picked up.

“Are you hurt?”

She curled her lip at him. “Like you care.”

He laughed mirthlessly. “Believe me, I care.”

Jon carried her from the room, setting her down in the bathroom, next to her shower. “I can’t believe I’m letting you do this. I need sleep.” He rubbed his face with his hands.

Sansa said nothing but took note of his features. Jon’s eyes had dark circles and were a bit red, he looked exhausted.

“We leave the door open. Your first escape attempt, the shower is over,” he said, harshly. He drew a knife from his back pocket and sliced through the pantyhose, leaving her free.

Sansa rubbed at her wrists, watching Jon as he turned on the water and left the room, turning away to give her a bit of privacy. She quickly removed her clothes and stepped in, losing herself in the hot water.

“You better hurry,” he yelled out.

Sansa did as told, quickly washing her hair and body, before turning the water off. She grabbed a towel, glancing at Jon to see he was still looking away from her. She dried and quickly put on the bra and underwear he left before pulling on her dress.

“You ready?”

“No. My hair is wet and we need to pack up all my makeup. My lotion, deodorant, everything else in here.” Sansa pulled open the cabinet under her sink and grabbed her travel bag, stuffing it full.

“No time for your hair. I’ve seen you do it before, it’ll take too long. You can put it up if you want.”

Sansa felt her wet hair, it would dry quicker if she left it down. She grabbed a comb, brushing her hair before placing it in her travel bag.

“You done?”  He grabbed the bag off her counter top.

Sansa nodded her head.

“Your purse is on your kitchen table, I put your cell phone in it too. You can pick it up when we leave.” He grabbed her left wrist, pulling her close to him. “We’re leaving now. Don’t bother trying to escape.”

He pulled her along, letting her pick up her purse, and they left her apartment. Jon led her to his black truck in the parking lot and opened the driver side door.

Sansa looked at him questioningly.

“I don’t want you running away,” he said in response to her unasked question.

Sansa climbed in with Jon following immediately behind her. They put on their seat belts and he started the engine.

“I hate you,” she snarled at him.

Jon did not so much as glance her way, resting his head against the steering wheel. “If that’s the price I need to pay so that you’re alive and safe, I’ll call it a fair trade.” He said nothing else, driving out of the parking lot and into traffic.

They pulled onto the interstate and came to a stop, stuck in the congestion.

Jon turned and looked at her. “We aren’t going to get home in time, Sansa.”

**_16 Hours…_ **

_The masses of stone and rock fell, towards an old man fishing in Braavos, a class of students in Myr, a newlywed couple on their honeymoon in Sunspear. Towards office buildings in King’s Landing. Towards several large masses of dark blue ocean water._

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jon will be explaining a bit more in the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

_ There is an old legend in Westeros. Once, when the Andals first came, the children of the forest worked with the greenseers to cast a spell. They called it the hammer of the waters. _

 

Jon turned and looked at her. “We aren’t going to get home in time, Sansa.” She lived right next to the beach, he could smell the salty, ocean air even with the truck windows closed. Under ideal circumstances, it took an hour to drive through the damned city, it would take twice that at their current pace. He had driven through the night to reach her and he didn’t have it in him to do so again. Sansa would make their journey as difficult as she could, of that he had no doubt.

“Who are you calling?” He regretted bringing it as soon as he saw the phone in her hand.

“I’m letting Harry know I won’t be able to make our date tonight since I’ve been kidnapped,” she said, dismissively.

Jon felt a surge of jealousy rise in him, even if he had no right to it. He’d been the one to end their relationship, had not allowed it to start if he were completely honest. “I’ll take that, you won’t be needing it.” He grabbed her phone away, glancing at the screen to make sure she had not yet had a chance to send any messages, before tucking it away in the pocket in his car door. “I didn’t kidnap you either.”

“Yeah, you kinda did,” she snapped at him. “Forcing your way into my home, refusing to leave, tying me up, and threatening me. What do you think that is?”

“I think it’s saving your life,” he barked right back at her. “Let me know if any of this sounds familiar. Robb asked you to come visit, wanted you to come see your family, phone calls that you ignored, text messages that you ignored. Am I close at all?” He risked a glance away from the road to look at her, she stared forward, her focus on the cars in front of them. “Did it occur to you at all to wonder why I showed up after he’s been trying for days to reach you? Why he sent me instead of Bran or someone else? Don’t bother answering, I can tell by the look on your face, you hadn’t considered any of this.”

Sansa remained quiet for a good long time after that, which he was grateful for. She was sitting as far from him as she could get, her knees up on the seat with her arms around them. Jon considered telling her most of her thigh was bare but he quickly dismissed the idea, she had nice legs. 

“You’re a liar, I don’t believe anything you say.” Her voice was so low, Jon almost thought he imagined it.

“No, I’m not. I’ll own up to being an asshole and treating you roughly today but I have never once lied to you.” Even after a year, Jon could remember every conversation they had, including his whispered confession. He had even allowed himself to imagine marrying her a time or two. That had been foolish though, Robb had set him straight on that. 

Sansa’s only response to him was to narrow her eyes and pull her lips into a tight frown. She did not believe him. Jon would say it did not bother him, but that would only prove her right, he would be a liar. 

Jon wanted to leave White Harbor behind him, he would at least feel as if they were making progress. They were less than two hours into their car ride and he felt tense and exhausted. Sansa would not make any part of their trip easy for him, he knew that well enough. 

“Pull over at the next exit, I want Starbucks. There’s a Dunkin next to it, I want donut holes too.”

Jon shook himself, convinced he had misheard her. “You must be joking.”

She put her knees down, which Jon found sorely disappointing, to face him. “If we are all going to die from a comet, then I want some chocolate donut holes and a cotton candy Frappucino before I go. Go to Dunkins first, I have to go to the bathroom. And before you suggest it, I’m not using a cup or bottle or whatever it is you probably brought with you. I bet you’re carrying a bunch of survival gear in here too, aren’t you?”

He could not help it, a laugh escaped him. “I missed you.”

They needed to get as far from the ocean as possible and he had hoped to be much closer to Winterfell by now, yet Jon found himself doing just as she asked. He pulled into the Dunkin parking lot and stopped the car. Sansa drew out a comb from her purse and used it on her hair before applying some lip gloss. Jon wondered if it would taste of strawberries, he hoped so. 

“Wait.” He grabbed her wrist before she could begin to open the truck door, bringing her close to him. “I meant what I said earlier, I’m taking you back to Winterfell. The only choice you have is whether you go hog-tied or not. So, before you get any idea to run away or make a scene, just remember what I can do. Am I clear?” 

Sansa nodded her head. “I understand.” She wore that same defeated expression he had seen on her earlier when she asked if he was going to kill her. 

He did not think she would accept any attempt at reassurance any more now than she had then. Jon had time to fix everything between them once they were back in Winterfell. First, he needed to get her there. 

“We go out the same way we came in here and we hold hands the entire time. Pretend we’re in love.” Jon regretted the last part as soon as he said it.

They were in Dunkin long enough for Sansa to use the restroom and get her the donut holes she watched. Jon had no idea how she expected to eat a hundred of them. Not long after, they were in the Starbucks drive thru, getting food, coffee for him, and a Frappuccino for her.

Jon glanced at the clock on the vehicle dash, it was already 2:47 PM, they needed to get moving. Still, he pulled into a parking lot. 

He ran his fingers through his hair, scratching at his scalp. He hoped the large coffee would help a bit, he needed sleep. “I know you don’t believe me. It’s why Robb didn’t say anything, he knew how you would react. If I’m wrong…”

“...When you’re wrong,” she offered.

Jon ignored her. “If I’m wrong, I’ll take you right back home and put everything away just as it was. I’ll even let you kick me in balls again, if you want.” He thought that was a rather generous offer, he had ached for a couple hours after she’d done it. Jon attempted to take her hand, making note of the pink nail polish she wore, but Sansa only yanked it away. “I’m not wrong though.”

“Jon?”

“Yes?”

“I’ll make a deal with you.” 

He grew wary, suspecting he would not like what she had to say. “What kind of deal would that be?”

Sansa turned towards him, moving ever so slightly closer. “I won’t try to run away or get help, I’ll be the good, dutiful girl for you. In exchange, when you’re wrong,” she paused, emphasizing that last bit, “after that, I never, ever want to see you again.”

Jon felt as if she’d stabbed him in the heart. He may have been the one to shut her out the previous year, but it had hurt him as much as it had her. “So long as you do as you’re told, we have a deal,” he said, curtly. Jon did not offer to shake hands on it, he knew she did not want to touch him. Instead, he rubbed his face and eyes before taking another sip of coffee and sliding it into his cup holder. 

He started his truck, left Starbucks behind, and returned to the interstate. White Harbor was finally in his rearview mirror and Jon was exceedingly grateful for it. They were far from safe, but at least they had some distance between them and the ocean. 

**_13 Hours…_ **

They travelled along in silence for the next several hours, there was little enough to say. It was clear Sansa had no wish to talk to him and Jon did not know what to talk about, even if she was willing. Not for the first time, he wondered if he had made the right decision a year ago, whether he should have listened to Robb. Sansa hated him now, that much was obvious. Jon truly did not know which would be more difficult, fixing what he had destroyed with Sansa or dealing with Sam’s comet and all the destruction it would bring. 

Once they had left the city, Jon had turned west towards the Barrowlands, quickly crossing the White Knife. It made for a longer journey but the region was a bit more populated and it took them further from the river. They quickly stopped at a deli for sandwiches in one of the many small towns that littered the area before driving another couple hours. 

“Sansa, we need to stop, I haven’t slept since I woke up yesterday morning.” His eyes were beginning to burn, Jon could feel all the stress and activity catching up to him. 

She looked at him, even in the night sky he could see sympathy on her face. That did not particularly surprise him, Sansa was still one of the kindest people he had ever met. “We should be at another town soon, we can stop at a hotel. I’ll bring our bags in so you can rest.”

“No, we’re sleeping in here. I don’t want to waste the time at a hotel. We rest for a bit and then we get moving again.” He didn’t know how long they had and everything he knew on what to expect came from Sam. 

Jon found a spot further from the road where they would not be easy visible and pulled over before turning off the engine. He grabbed one of the bottles of water he had stored away, taking a large swallow, before handing it to Sansa. 

“If you need to go to the bathroom, you better do it now.” 

He silently laughed at her look of shock before getting out and wandering into the tree line to go before returning to find Sansa where he had left her. “I wasn’t joking. Or wait until the morning, you could do that too.”

She gave him a spiteful look before wandering away. Jon tried not to let it upset him. Sansa returned, climbing back into her seat, seemingly determined to ignore him. He pulled his seat back to get comfortable, before looking at Sansa, considering.

“You don’t leave. You don’t get out of this truck. If you so much as open that door, I’ll know it. Like I said, hog-tied,” he threatened.

“Got it.”

“I am trying to keep you safe, you know.”

“That’s what a liar would say,” she muttered, more to herself than him.

That  was the second time that day she had accused him of being a liar and Jon did not know what to make of it. He leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and was asleep within a couple minutes.

**_6 Hours..._ **

“Jon, wake up.” Someone was shoving at his shoulder.

“What time is it?” he asked, groggily. 

A harder shove this time. “I wouldn’t know, you took my phone away.”

Jon opened his eyes, looking out the car windows. “Shit…..” 

“Let’s go sit in the truck bed for a bit, I want a better look.” She waited for him to move before adding a “please.”

Jon sighed, his mouth felt like it had cotton in it and his eyes still burned. “Fine,” he whispered, resigned. 

They both got out, ending up sitting next to each other in the back. He could see why Sansa wanted out. The sky was frantic and alive with activity. The black night was lit up, patches of creamy white broken by stars appearing and then fading away in a burst. Blazes of color flashed as far as they could see in a way that made Jon think of fireworks. In the far distance, there were flashes of light, similar to heat lightning. The portion of the sky closest to the moon had its own iridescent colors. It all combined to turn the sky above them into a rich tapestry of riotous color. 

“Jon, are we going to die tomorrow?” He could see her face clearly from the brightly illuminated sky, she was frightened.

“No. I told you I’d get you home, didn’t I?” Jon hoped it would provide her some reassurance. Their path home was based upon what Sam had told him, the distance was longer but it kept them as far from bodies of water as he could get it. The rest, there was nothing he could do about. Jon had no intention of telling any of that to Sansa.

They sat together, watching the light show, until Jon drifted back to sleep. He woke in the early morning light to find Sansa curled up next to him, her head resting against his chest.

“Sansa, come on, we need to get going,” he murmured. Jon began to stroke her hair, hoping to gently wake her. 

He could tell the moment consciousness returned to her when she quickly pulled away from him. Jon pretended not to notice. “Let’s drink water, go the restroom, and get going. There’s a town not far up the road.”

Fifteen minutes later, they pulled into a gas station. Jon also filled up the two gas canteens he had brought with as well, reserves just in case. He’d brought a siphon too, it was a possibility they would end up needing to steal the stuff, but this would be a faster method. 

“Jon, there’s a bakery across the street. Can we get something to eat?”

“What about your donut holes?” He didn’t know why she had insisted on buying so many, Sansa had only eaten a dozen or so. 

“That was yesterday. Besides, fresh cinnamon rolls sound delicious.” Her face was innocent and she spoke with the confidence of someone who knew they were going to get their way.

Every instinct Jon had told him to ignore her and drive on but he ended up doing as she asked. “We get food and coffee and we leave. Eat in the car.” He was being stupid and he knew it, his instincts were screaming at him.

A short while later, they left the town behind, cinnamon rolls and coffee in hand. 

Sansa made it twenty minutes before asking them to pull over at a rest stop so she could go to the bathroom. 

“You just went,” he exclaimed. He didn’t know how the woman did it. “Can you wait another half hour or so?” 

“No, I can’t. Besides, it will only take five minutes.” She sounded annoyed.

Jon didn’t particularly care, he was annoyed too. “Last stop for several hours, Sansa, and I mean it. 

He stood outside the truck, one of his maps spread out on his seat while he waited for her to return. Jon had made sure they crossed the White Knife early, he’d wanted that behind them. But, there were a couple of smaller rivers between them and Winterfell and he wasn’t sure of the best way to cross. 

“I’m ready to go now.” He noticed Sansa had taken the time to wash her face and apply more of her lip glass. He was shocked she hadn’t complained about wearing the same clothing two days in a row. 

“Get in.” He began folding up the map to put it away. 

“Jon, what was that?” She grabbed his hand, pulling him away from the truck, towards the nearby grass lawn. “Look at the trees.”

Jon saw the trees she was pointing at, a bunch of young pines not too far away. He started to draw forth a sarcastic comment when he realized. The trees had two separate sets of shadows, then one, and then two. He looked towards a stand alone car in the parking lot and it was the same, one shadow, then two, and back again.

Sansa had begun to grip his arm, almost leaning into him. “What was that?” He could hear the terror in her voice and see it in her eyes. 

“Get ready.”

A streak of blue shot eastward across the sky. 

_ The hammer of the waters came and ripped apart the continents. Mountains grew in lands once flat. The fertile lands of Dorne turned to desert. Lakes appeared over night. The neck became a wet marsh. And everywhere, people died.  _


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick reminder about the darker Jon tag and the violence warning before reading this chapter.

**_Now…_ **

“Get ready.”

Sansa let go of Jon’s arm, she could see little half-moons where her nails had been digging into his forearms. She looked down and saw her shadows, two of them. One was moving. She looked up and saw the sun, bright yellow in the sky. The second sun moved, dropping, lower, lower until it disappeared and the bright light came. Sansa blinked hard, squeezing her eyes shut. The violet managed to block everything else out.

She drew several breaths, quick and shallow, as her stomach began to churn and the muscles in her body grew tense. Around her, several other people stood about, looking up into the sky as she did. The yellow-blue sun left a trail in its wake and then another light appeared, reminding Sansa of a searchlight beam. It drew high up into the sky, almost disappearing into it. Then the light was gone and only quiet remained.

Further away in the grass, Sansa could hear two young parents arguing over what they had just seen, whether it was an airplane or a bomb or something else. A little boy, no more than two, toddled and slunk about between their legs, blissfully unaware of his parent’s distraction.

“It’s real. It’s here and it’s real.” She could hear her voice, she spoke higher and faster than normal. A giggle somehow escaped her and then a sob. “I want to go home now.”

“Not yet.” He grabbed her hand, yanking her towards the middle of the open lawn in the rest stop area, away from his truck.

A white fireball appeared at the very edge of the horizon and then disappeared. Three more lights appeared, bright points glaring at them in challenge. Then they winked out, one, then two. The third disappeared and another beam of white light appeared, growing and climbing up into the sky until it, too, disappeared. 

“Is it done? Is it done now?”

Jon never got the chance to answer. The earth began to rumble and groan. Several birds flew out of the nearby pines. An electric feeling grew around them as the smell of ozone spread. The groan turned into a roar. Beneath her feet, Sansa felt the ground begin to dance.

*****

_ A man sat alone on a hillside in Valyria, enjoying a light snack before continuing his solo hike. He turned at the bright light appearing behind him. He blinked rapidly but it made no difference, he saw only agony and pain. A shock wave of steam and lava tore at him, he knew nothing else. _

_ A woman sat in first class, engrossed in her book, ignoring the activity of her fellow airline passengers.  The light came on and the captain asked everyone to return to their seats. She heard a sound, like metal being slowly torn in two. She looked outside her window to see a darkening sky. The plane began a nose dive before it shuddered and lost its tail wind. It began to drift and fall like a leaf. The woman saw a lightning bolt strike a wing and then several more appeared in the sky. _

_ In Braavos, newlyweds walked along the canal system that connected the city waterways to the nearby ocean.  A bright light appeared at at the edge of the horizon, white and then blue that made the wife think of a balloon. A red, glowing pillar appeared then, reaching up towards the sky. The earth shuddered beneath their feet and pieces began to fall into the water beneath them. Around them, people began to run away from the ocean, fruitlessly seeking refuge within the city buildings. The husband saw the water disappear, pulling back and back. Then it returned, a dirty, grey wall that grew higher than any skyscraper. It moved closer to land with an ominous rumble. Overhead, drops of salt water began to fall from the sky. The tsunami came closer and closer. A roar of white foam and green and white until it fell over them, taking them and all of the city with it.  _

*****

The earth moved, sudden and sharp before shifting to a soft and graceful sway. Sansa spread her legs to maintain balance. The rest stop buildings seemed to move and shake. The vending machines fell over, their glass shattering. People stood frozen, looking around, not sure if they should seek shelter or get in their car to drive away. 

Then nothing, the shock of quiet was as frightening as all that had come before. People came back to life, the little boy began to cry as his mother picked him up. She could hear people yelling and screaming, asking if others were alright, asking what had happened. 

Jon cupped her chin, tilting her head so she looked up at him. He said nothing but his eyes were the ones she remembered, soft and warm and caring. She had trusted those eyes, until he shut her out, until she snuck over to his house early one morning to see him.

“Sansa, are-”

The earth moved again and someone began to scream, over and over. The silence returned, broken only by the one man’s screams of pain. She breathed a sigh of relief, hoping it was done. The seconds ticked by, one two, three. 

Then the earth moved once more and Sansa was thrown violently to the ground. It shook and danced and roared. This time, it did not stop. Sansa tried to pull herself to her feet but the earth grabbed and threw her once more. The dance went on, faster and faster in its frenzy of movement. Every time Sansa tried to stand or pull herself up, she was thrown down again until she gave up, huddling into a ball, waiting for it all to end. But, it did not, the ground rolled and twisted until Sansa realized it would never stop.

*****

_ In King’s Landing, a man drove his car, starting his day at the office later than usual. He hummed along to an old country song playing on the radio. He saw a streak of light across the Blackwater Bay as he drove along but did not pay it much attention, it was a common tourist destination so there were always events going on. He never had a chance to see the second streak of light or have a final thought of his wife and two children. His body and car, along with everything around them, disappeared as if they had never been. _

_ A woman in Lys, old and without a home, sought shelter in an abandoned building when the earth began to shake. The earthquake weakened and tore apart the building, until it collapsed in a pile of dust and debris. No one heard her final cry of terror.  _

*****

Sansa lay curled up on the ground, whether minutes or hours passed, she did not know. Her head hurt and the skirt of her dress was twisted up around her waist. She could hear car horns going off and the activity of people moving about. The man who had earlier been screaming in pain was silent. 

Suddenly, she felt a pair of hands at her legs and someone grabbing at her skirts. Sansa shrieked and began kicking blindly. 

“Sansa, it’s me. It’s just me,” Jon exclaimed. He suddenly appeared, cupping her face and looking down at her. 

“Jon,” she whispered before slowly pulling herself to a sitting position to look around, her head spinning. “Is it done now?” Her question came out as a whimper. 

“I don’t know, I think so.” He began pulling at her, looking at her arms and legs to check for injuries.

“I’m fine.” She yanked her arm away from him and began to stand, wiping the dirt and strands of grass off her as she did so. Sansa stood, slowly turning in a circle to see the devastation. 

It was a rest center, almost identical to all the ones to be found next to highways in Westeros. A few buildings made of concrete block no longer stood, the walls partially collapsed and the roofs fallen in. Another building, what used to be a visitor’s center, had been made of wood but now looked like a twisted and broken mass. The copse of pines at the edge of the green lawn no longer existed, the trees pulled from their roots or bent and broken. The concrete parking lot looked like a mess of puzzle pieces, the lines drawn and twisted about at random.

Towards the back of the lot, two large RV units had fallen onto their sides. Cars had slid about the lot until they slammed into each other and come to a stop. Sansa pictured White Harbor, images of the high-rise buildings and bridges connecting the cities together. 

“White Harbor. Jon, do you think the earthquake hit White Harbor too? Is Winterfell okay? My mom is in Winterfell.” Her voice sounded distant to her, as if someone else was speaking.

Jon pulled at her chin, tilting her head so he could peer at her.  He began rubbing against her face and neck. “Your eyes are dilated, Sansa. You’re in shock, go sit in the truck,” he ordered.

The couple with the little boy approached them, the woman still holding the child tight in her arms.

“Excuse me, I heard you say White Harbor. Do you think it got hit too?” The man asked.

Jon sighed, rubbing at his beard. “It’s probably gone.”

“That’s where we live.” 

The woman next to him began shaking with silent tears. 

“If you have somewhere else to go, inland, I’d suggest trying for that instead,” Jon said gruffly. 

Sansa began to walk away, not wanting to hear the rest of the conversation. She passed a group of people, college friends from the look of them, arguing over what to do next. One of them was covered in dust and had several cuts on his face. There was a family in a minivan, the three children staring at her as she walked past.

She continued on, to the closest RV. Sansa felt as if mind was outside her body, her legs moving forward in some pattern while the rest of her watched from a distance. The large vehicle was still on its side, a pair of grey pants and black boots protruding from under it.

Sansa got on her knees. “Hello,” she called out.

Jon was grabbing at her waist, pulling her to her feet. “The man is dead, Sansa. There is nothing you can do for him. You should have gotten in the truck like I told you too. Now, do as I say, you need to sit.”

“No, we have to help people. I’m going to call for an ambulance,” she murmured. Sansa took in her dress, it didn’t even have a pocket. “You took my phone away. I need your phone to call for help.” She held her hand out, waiting for Jon to pass his phone over. 

He didn’t, lightly pulling her into an embrace instead. “Sansa, sweetheart. Listen to me-”

No, I’m not your sweetheart,” she said, moving out of Jon’s arms. “That’s not what I was. You wanted to make me a mistress.” 

Sansa kept walking, her memory from the previous year briefly distracting her. She had been hurt, desperate for answers so had went to visit him in the early morning hours. She could still remember that feeling of dread, the sick twist of her stomach when she saw Ygritte’s car out front. She had used her key to enter, inwardly chanting that it was not as it seemed. 

Jon Snow was a liar, she did not want to listen to him.

Clouds to the south and southwest began to look strange, appearing and disappearing so quickly it made Sansa think of the sped up images she saw in action movies. They would appear, take shape, and then quickly disperse as if they had never been there at all. Above them, the sky began to darken.

She stared down at a man slumped over his steering wheel, jumping back when he suddenly lifted his head, peering back at her. She grabbed at his car door, quickly opening it, only to see some thin, white poles sticking out of his chest and stomach. 

Jon pushed her out of the way, giving her his phone in the process. “Call for an ambulance,” he ordered. 

Sansa looked at his phone, it had no signal.

The man in the car looked to be in his thirties, wearing a red polo shirt and jeans. His face was ashen.

“Hi, I’m Jon. That’s my girlfriend, she’s calling for help. What’s your name?”

“Richard.”

“It’s good to meet you, Richard. Where you from?”

“Karhold, was heading back home.” His voice had a wet sound to it. 

“I’ve been there, lots of beautiful mountains all around.”

Jon pulled a knife from his pocket, easing it into the man’s heart, pushing in with a certain tenderness that made her recoil. The man’s eyes lost their focus and the wet breathing stopped. Jon pulled his knife out, wiping it off on the man’s shirt, the blood almost disappearing into the red cotton.

“You killed him,” she sobbed. 

“No, he was already dead. All I did was take away his pain.” Jon squeezed both her upper arms, hard enough that she could not escape this time. “There is no help coming, no police, no EMTs. Right now, we need to go.”

He half dragged, half carried her back to their vehicle where he picked her up and placed her into the seat, pulling the seat belt over her. Jon closed her door before moving to the other side, climbing into the driver’s seat. Outside, the sky grew even darker, rain began to drop, thick fat drops of it.  

“Sansa, we need to talk, about that mistress business, and what just happened, but right now, we need to get out of here.” He handed her a bottle of water. “Drink this.”

She took several gulps before handing the bottle back to him, watching his throat move as he swallowed down the rest of it. “Are we still going to Winterfell? All my family is in Winterfell, Jon.” Sansa could hear the hysteria in her voice, she took a deep breath before speaking again. “Just tell me this. Do you think Winterfell is okay?”

Jon turned the key in the ignition and she heard the rough purr of the engine as the truck came back to life.  His grasp on the steering wheel was so tight she could see the whiteness in his knuckles. “As best I could tell, we saw the thing come down largely south of us, landing in the ocean or in the Riverlands maybe, I’m not certain. Winterfell is fine, your mom and your brother are waiting for you, Sansa,” he told her soothingly. 

Sansa decided to believe him. She nodded her head as he drove away, leaving the dead men and everyone else behind. The rain grew heavier, the noise of its landing echoed inside the truck. She rolled down her window and stuck her hand out, wanting to feel the drops on her skin.

“What are you doing? You’ll get water in here,” Jon barked out at her. He began rolling her window back up. 

Sansa licked the tip of one finger. “Salt. It’s salt water.”

“Ocean water.”  

They sat together in silence as Jon drove down the highway, driving around cars and onto the median when needed. More than once, they rode over several large bumps in the road, she did not ask what they were. 

Jon drove them into a small town, leaving the larger highway behind. He turned a corner and suddenly there were red flames everywhere, several houses on fire, burning out of control even with the rain coming down. Sansa did not see any sign of fire engines or anyone making an effort to stop the blaze.

“No one cares.”

“What did you expect?”

Sansa had no answer.  

Jon turned left and a tangle of cars and a gasoline truck lay on its side, the liquid it carried was spilling out.

“Gods,” she said. “Can’t we stop?”

“No point.” He made another turn, leaving the small town behind them. “Anyone there is either dead or will be soon.”

They passed a large clinic, several police officers and what looked to be nurses and medical staff stood around in rain gear. One officer watched them drive past before turning away.

The rain was coming down so heavy, even with the windshield wipers at top speed, Sansa could barely see through the front window. She blinked back tears.

Jon spared her a quick glance before grasping one of her hands in his. “We couldn’t have done anything the local police couldn’t see to themselves. Right now, we can only take care of ourselves.”

“I know.” Sansa felt numb.

They drove on, past a ruined school, more homes on fire, a wrecked gas station, and more. 

She glanced at the clock on the dash, less than an hour had passed since they’d seen the first bright flash. “It’s the hammer of the waters, come back on us again,” she whispered to herself. 

Jon said nothing.

Black hail began to fall from the sky. 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**_After…_ **

It had only been forty minutes since everything began. Forty minutes since everything ended. The sky outside reminded him of the afternoon thunderstorms that so often appeared during the summer months. The rain would get worse though. Jon glanced towards Sansa again, she lay slumped against the door frame, passively looking at everything they passed by. A burning gas station drew no more reaction than a piece of trash by the side of the road. 

He slowed his driving speed, knowing the weather conditions would only get worse. They were not so far from the barrowlands either, an area rich with small hills and valleys. Mud slides were a possibility, so were flash floods.

“It’s the hammer of the waters, come back on us again.” Sansa spoke so quietly, at first Jon thought he’d imagined it. 

He had no answer to that. It was an old story and he was fairly certain Sam’s comet wasn’t a punishment from the gods. His concerns were more immediate than the potential sins of humanity. 

Small black drops began to fall from the sky.

“Black hail.”

“It’s not hail. That’s the ocean floor, kicked up with the salt water.” The small clumps almost blended into his black truck but left streaks on the front windshield his wipers couldn’t quite sweep away. 

Sansa grew more alert, swinging her head to look about. Jon would not have guessed dirt falling from the sky would be the thing to bring her back to awareness. “How long will it last?”

“I don’t know.” Just as he spoke, the black hail stopped. The sky grew darker. “I guess not long.”

“Will it be back?”

He stole a quick glance at her. “I don’t know that either.”

Lightning flared and split a tree just ahead of them so it fell across the road with a sharp slam. The thunder quickly followed, loud and deafening. Jon slammed on the brakes, his truck coming to a stop before hitting the downed tree. 

Sansa rolled down her window once more. The mixed odor of salt and ozone quickly overtook him. “Roll that up,” he ordered her. She wrinkled her nose at him but did as instructed. He flipped the child window lock so she could not do it again. 

From the other side of the road, a speeding blue sedan came charging at them. The driver pressed his brakes but it did not matter. The car fishtailed before flipping over twice, coming to a stop on its side mere feet in front of the fallen tree. 

“We need to help them,” Sansa said before pulling off her seat belt and starting to open the truck door.

“Get back in here,” he bit out, yanking on her upper arm to keep her from climbing out. 

Jon quickly pulled onto the shoulder of the road and turned the truck engine off before facing Sansa. He wanted to insist she stay in her seat while he went to look. He should drive off. “I go first to make sure it’s safe.” 

He waited for her nod of agreement before stepping outside. He was instantly soaked, the salt water felt surprisingly warm against his skin. A trickle fell into his mouth. Jon crossed the road but could see in an instant there was nothing to be done.

The woman lay face down on the road but the man’s torso was stuck in the shattered windshield. The true horror lay in the back seat.  A young girl’s arm, pink sleeve still attached,  lay next to a doll on the floor. There was nothing to do but leave.

“Why didn’t they wear a seat belt?”

Sansa’s pained question drew Jon away from the car.  He grabbed her waist, pulling her back from the wreckage. “Fear makes people do stupid things. Let’s go, we can’t help them.” He kept his grip on her, not wanting Sansa to see what she didn’t need to see. It would only upset her.

“Gods,” Sansa exclaimed. “Look at that.” She spread her legs, refusing to walk.

Jon felt annoyed. They needed to keep going and he felt as if all he’d been doing was indulging Sansa’s whims the past two days. “Dammit, can you just do as I say for once?”  He practically shoved her the rest of the way to the truck. “You stopped in the middle of the road. What if a car had been coming.”

She looked past his shoulder. “We’re on the old kings road, no one is coming. Why is the sky orange?” 

He turned to look where she indicated. The downpour was so heavy he saw nothing but grey sky and grass but then, every so often, the wind whipped the rain in a thinner pattern and they could see it, a faint orange glow punctuated by thick clumps of orange flares. 

“What is that?” Sansa wondered aloud.

“Let’s get inside out of the rain first.” 

Back in the truck, Jon removed the t shirt he had been wearing. “Look under your seat. There are several trash bags, grab me one.” He began pulling off his boots, made difficult with the steering wheel. “Everything is burning. Houses, Gas stations. Cars. If it can catch fire, it’s burning. I expect the entire city of White Harbor is either destroyed or will be soon enough.”

The wind began howling. Sansa only stared out the back window, catching stray glimpses when the wind and rain allowed her too. “Harry was in White Harbor,” she whispered to herself.

Jon hated Harry. Despised him.

“You may want to change clothes. You're soaking wet.” He pulled his jeans off, the wet denim stuck to him, resisting his efforts. He placed the wet clothes in the trash before pulling an over night from the back seat, grabbing dry ones. “You can stare if you want, I don’t mind,” he told her, noticing Sansa’s gaze.

She ignored him, grabbing a pink t shirt from one of her books. “Close your eyes.”

“All right.” He didn’t. Sansa trying to shimmy out of her blue dress was a rather enjoyable sight. 

The wind still whistled but Jon could hear another sound, low, a rumble, slowly building in volume. It made him think of a jet plane, ten jets, maybe even a thousand of them, roaring down a runway all at once, preparing to take off. It came from the south, the same general direction as the earlier bursts of light. The glow disappeared. It did not fade or flicker, it went out suddenly, gone in an instant. The rumble grew louder.

“Shit. Sam was right.” His voice was low.

“Sam was right about what?” she asked him nervously.

“I think that was a tsunami. We’re well away from it, even with the path I took. White Harbor is gone. It’ll come up the White Knife and Broken Branch though, lots of flooding over there.”

“That’s why we went this way,” Sansa murmured. 

He nodded. “The old kings road isn’t as busy and less chance of flooding.” He couldn’t avoid all the rivers though, just the worst of them.

The sky grew visibly darker, as if a black curtain suddenly covered the land. The clouds began churning even faster than before as lightning flashed, dozens, hundred of flashes, so quick and bright it reminded Jon of a night club strobe light. He hated night clubs. The rain picked up, it looked like entire bathtubs were falling from the sky. The wind grew fiercer, screaming at them in anger. 

They needed to go, Jon was not sure how far they would be able to travel under these conditions. He began to turn the ignition when he felt Sansa’s hand cover his. It was the first time she’d willingly touched him in a year.

He turned towards her then, pulling her against him. They held each other, while outside, the lighting played around them and above them. The thunder rolled and roared, punctuated by loud booms of discord.

All Jon could think was that he may have saved her but he had lost them. He wished he knew what to tell her, the word mistress had been playing over and over in his head since she uttered it. He had her back now though and leaving Winterfell again would never be an option for her. He wanted to kiss her. “Sansa, we need to get going.” 

She pulled away. “I know.” Sansa gave a sharp nod of her head. “Do you want a bottle of water.”

He broke out in a grin, pointing out the window. “No, I really don’t.”

He started the truck and pulled out, crossing the median and driving around the downed tree. From the corner of his eye, Jon thought he spied a flash of pink in the grass. A flicker of doubt touched him. Sansa would want to do something for the child if she knew, it wasn’t right to leave her body like that. “Let’s go then.”

Ten minutes later they were in the small town of Great Barrow,  a few other cars drove slowly with their lights on in the gloom, through windy and rainswept streets, across thick mud that ran in rivulets across the road. It was the City Hall that Jon noticed most. Police cars were all around it and men wearing every type of uniform he could imagine, new and old, from army to security guard. They were driving slow enough for Jon to see every one of them was armed, pistols, shotguns, and old hunting rifles.

“Look straight ahead, not at them,” he told her. 

“Will Winterfell be like that, do you think?” 

Jon debated how much to tell her, she was already upset. “No.”

They left Great Barrow behind them. The green light of the dash told him it was barely 3P.M. but it was dark, a dingy grey. The kings road had mud all over it and a steady rush of water flowed on the blacktop. They crested a hill and then began the slow descent. Thick mud covered the road ahead of them, Jon shifted into four-wheel drive. 

“Do you want me to drive?”

He laughed, Sansa never drove if she could help it. Jon remembered her once telling him she would much rather look out the window to study all the people and places they passed by. “I’m good.”

There was water at the bottom of the hills, it came up to the door. Jon put the truck in reverse to back away before driving up onto the embankment beside it.

“I rescind my offer to help you drive.”

Sansa was joking with him. Jon wanted to scream his thanks to the gods in the seven heavens above them but kept quiet, afraid if he mentioned anything she would shut down again. The word mistress began to repeat in his mind once more.

The embankment grew steeper and the truck tilted dangerously towards the swirling dark water to their left. He drove slowly, keeping them to a crawl. 

“Jon, there are people in those houses. I can see lights every once in awhile, flashlights I guess.” The kings road had small farms and hamlets littered all about. 

The road suddenly appeared again out of the flood and Jon let out a sigh of relief. The rain was lighter now, back to a familiar summer storm.

“Let me roll down a window, I want to check."

He flipped the switch and heard the quiet hum of the window coming down. A quick burst of cold air flooded the truck cabin. Jon had not expected that. Sansa stuck a finger out the window and tasted the rain. “Plain water.” 

Jon suppressed the urge to grab her finger and suck on it. A year ago he would have done exactly that. “Let’s hope it stays that way.” 

It was past 4.P.M now and they began the slow climb into the hills and low mountains of the barrowlands. They passed numerous stopped cars, Jon deliberately did not look to see if there were occupants inside. A man darted in front of his truck, gesticulating madly. He wore a blue shirt half torn open and he held a pistol in his hand. Jon accelerated, aiming directly towards him. The man dove off the road. 

Sansa turned to look back.

“Get down,” he said, pulling at her.

“I think he had a child with him.”

“I know he had a gun.” He ignored the look she was giving him.

They drove in silence, the cars on the road slowly disappeared until it felt as if they were the only ones left in the world. Mudslides covered the road and he once again slowed to a crawl. He kept the truck in first and second gear, feeling grateful for every bit of distance they gained and every mudslide passed. 

The rain fell intermittently now but the wind still whipped at them with even more fierceness than before. It was ink blank outside, so dark even the high beams failed to offer much light. Jon turned a corner and stopped abruptly. The darkness grew more intense, it made him think of the black holes he learned about back in school so long ago.

“Stay here, I’m going to look.” He put the brake on and began to get out. “Actually, scoot over. I might need to take you up on your earlier offer.” 

Jon walked a short distance and drew himself up before returning back to Sansa. He knocked on the window. “Back up, slowly.”

“Why?”

“Just do it. Now,” he snapped at her.

Sansa did not argue. Jon walked behind his truck to guide her, eventually motioning her to stop. 

He got back inside and turned them around, back where they came. “The bridge is gone and I don’t know how far it is to the bottom. We almost found out.” He pulled over to the side of the road, as far as he dared. “End of the line. For tonight at least.”

“What do we do tomorrow?” She sounded frightened. 

He reached over in the dark to clasp her hand. “There are other ways to cross. Did you see how many maps I brought with?” He turned on the dome light and they were both lit in a gentle yellow pool. “Are you hungry?”

“You brought food, because of course you did. How many days worth? Three?”

“A week,” he answered sheepishly. 

“That’s my Jon,” she whispered. 

“Am I?”

“Are you what?”

“Your Jon?”

She did not answer. He regretted asking. They ate their dinner in silence, peanut butter crackers, granola bars, and dried fruit. They had not eaten since the cinnamon rolls purchased earlier that morning. 

He lost himself in thought, wanting to ask the question that had been nagging him all day. Jon wanted to laugh, he could prepare for the apocalypse but could not figure out how to ask Sansa a single damned question.

“Jon?” She asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Hmmm….”

“I haven’t thanked you yet, for coming to get me. You didn’t have to do that.” Sansa sounded sincere.

He focused on her, more intently than he had been able to all day. Her hair had mostly fallen out of her ponytail, she wore an old pink t shirt. Her lips glistened, she had still found the time to put that strawberry gloss on she favored. He was the world’s biggest idiot.

“You don’t need to thank me. Robb told me you were coming, I think he thought you’d be easier to convince. As soon as I knew you weren't, all I wanted to do was come get you. ‘Have to’ didn’t enter into it.”

She did not answer. Jon thought of his time as a recruit in the Night’s Watch. Confronting Sansa was more frightening than anything he had encountered during his time in the military. He’d told her he loved her and then he’d shut her out, all because of innocent remarks from Robb. Sansa glanced at at him and her shoulder tensed, she knew what he was going to ask.  

“We’re going to talk now and you’re going to explain what you meant earlier today.” Jon sounded harsher than he meant it. 

“Mistress. Yes, the hidden woman you want to use for awhile until she grows inconvenient.” Her face grew stiff, the relaxed features from just a minute ago had disappeared.

“You think I cheated on you?” he asked in confusion. Her disgusted expression answered him. “You think I used you to cheat on someone else.” Jon had not expected that.

Sansa did not answer. She did not move but he could feel her physically pull away from him, even so.  He reached out to her, she jerked her hand away. “I loved you. I still do.”

“Yes, we told each other that. Then, one weekend, you did not come to visit me like you said you would. I waited and you did not show. You did not return my messages and you did not return my texts. I saw you two together, Jon. I saw you.” Her voice was flat, neutral. 

“Saw who?”

Even in the dim yellow light, he could see the flush of anger on her cheeks. “I drove to your house after. Stupid girl that I was, I thought if I went to see you, we could talk. If we saw each other, everything would be fine. I went early in the morning, when I knew you would be home and used the key you gave me. She was there, in your bedroom.”

Jon knew who she was talking about. “Ygritte. Shit.” He remembered that morning. He had not seen her since that day, wasn’t even sure where she was. Ygritte had been half drunk and had come over to borrow a pair of fucking binoculars. As far as Jon knew, she still had the damn thing. “It’s not what you think.”

Sansa flashed him a look that made him think of the cliche, if looks could kill then he would be a dead man. “Yes, that’s exactly what I would expect a man to tell the woman who he is in a secret relationship with after shutting her out and then getting caught. It’s not what she thinks, it’s all just a silly misunderstanding, calm down and be rational.”

“It is a misunderstanding.” That had been the wrong thing to say, he could tell immediately. “She borrowed something, that’s all. It’s Ygritte, she went barging into my bedroom.” He’d only dated the woman for a couple months. She was a professional photographer and had been in Winterfell for a project. She left the area as quickly as she'd come into it. She was probably dead somewhere now. 

“I would have believed you once, before you did what you did.” 

“I thought I was doing the right thing.”

“I appreciate you deciding what was best for me.” 

Jon rubbed at his temples. He was handling this badly and he knew it. “Nothing happened with her, I swear it. I meant every word I said to you.”

She moved away from him to lean against the door, pulling her knees up against her. “That’s exactly what a liar would say.”

“I didn’t do what you’re accusing me off. I’ll own up to being an idiot and an asshole but not that.”

She closed her eyes, not looking at him. “We should go to sleep, I expect tomorrow will be just as bad.”

“Sansa.”

“Thank you again for saving me. Good night, Jon.”

Jon sat in the driver’s seat, one hand resting on the steering wheel. He felt worn out but could not sleep. Instead, he listened to the faint sound of rain hitting the metal of his car and the angry rustle of the wind. 

Sansa’s breathing eventually evened. He pulled a blanket from the backseat to cover her before turning off the dome light. She’d been right yesterday, Jon had brought a bunch of survival gear with him. It was everything else she got wrong. 

 

_ Up above, the comet retreats back into deep space. _

 

_ On earth, rain falls from the sky. Steam rises from where the hammer of the waters fell. Salt, soil, rock dust, and vaporized crust all go with it. Volcanoes send more smoke and dust into the atmosphere. The sun’s heat and light are reflected back into space. Far to the north, in the lands of always winter, rain falls as snow that will not melt for hundreds of years. _

 

_ The hammer of the waters may have fallen but its work was far from done. The hurricanes and typhoons will continue to lash the land and water. The crops will go to ruin. Livestock will be destroyed. Disease and famine will make its way back to the world.  _

 


	7. Chapter 7

**_One day after Hammerfall_ **

Sansa opened her eyes just enough to see a grey sky through the front windshield before closing them once again, hoping to will herself back to sleep. She lay curled up, head on the arm rest, with a soft blanket covering her. Sansa’s muscles were stiff and sore from lack of movement. She had begun to drift, almost lulled back to sleep by the steady patter of rain on metal, when the sounds were broken by a motor engine coming towards them.

She threw back the blanket and shook her head. A blue sedan shot past her. Sansa threw open the truck door to run after the car but stopped at the sound of skidding breaks and silence. The sound of metal crashing against stone and rock hit her moments later. Sansa ran towards the ruined bridge knowing there was nothing to be done. The sedan lay on it’s side, a smashed and broken ruin. There was no sign anyone below her lived.

The bridge was a simple concrete arch of a deep gorge. Far below, the water churned rapidly, a brackish grey. The bridge itself ended only a few feet from where she stood.

“Dammit, Sansa, get out of the road.” She felt a pair of hands come around her waist, picking her up.

She landed on the dirt and gravel at the shoulder’s edge. It was then Sansa noticed the wind, it was much colder than it should be for summer time. The rain still fell but it was surprisingly warm against her skin. She wore nothing but a pair of shorts and a t shirt. She began to shiver.

“Do you think they are dead?”

“At the speed they were going, yes.” He glanced at her feet. “You don’t have shoes on.”

“There wasn’t time,” she explained before gingerly walking back towards his truck. The road in this area was a mix of rock and concrete, her feet were quickly growing tender.

“Do you want me to carry you?”

Sansa did not look back. “I’m fine,” she called out.

“Stop being stubborn.” One arm came around her waist and the other under her knees. “This road will tear up the soles of your feet.”

He set her down by their vehicle and opened the door.

Sansa climbed inside and began to put her sandals back on. “You didn’t have to do that.”

He did not respond, merely shaking his head. “You may want to go to the bathroom,” he said, indicating the nearby woods. “I’m going to empty one of the gas cans. When you get back, we eat and figure out what’s next.”

Soon enough, Sansa found herself bent over her seat, pulling out the first long sleeved sweater she found. “Close your eyes.”

He snorted. “No.” Jon made a point to stare directly at her.

She stuck her tongue out at him before pulling the sweatshirt over her and wriggling out of the pink t shirt. They ate in silence, more granola bars and dried fruit.

“Does it ever end?”

“Does what ever end?”

Sansa cupped her neck, rubbing her thumb by her ear. “The dying.” Jon stayed quiet, waiting for her to explain. “It would be easier if this just finished. How long are people going to keep dying? How much more is there?”

Jon kept one hand wrapped around the steering wheel, a finger lightly tapping against it, he did not so much as glance at her. Sansa waited for a response, knowing he was torn between giving her honesty or comfort.

He reached out, asking for her hand. Sansa hesitated before giving in. Even with that small of a touch, she could feel the heat of his skin against hers. “I don’t have a good answer for you.” He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. “I didn’t realize until last night just how much I lost your trust in me. So, it won’t mean much when I say this, but I intend to do my damnedest to make sure you’re taken care of and I’ll keep doing it, whether you want me to or not. I don’t know what else to say.”

She felt taken aback. If their situation were not so precarious, Sansa would laugh. She was stuck with a man she had once dreamed of marrying, the same man who used and abandoned her, who one day showed up at her door step and all but kidnapped her. Jon Snow was her self-appointed knight in shining armor. “I believe you. About that at least,” she whispered.

He gave a sharp nod before pulling away from her and unwinding a large map he’d kept hidden away somewhere. “This is why I always use paper maps. Here we are,” he said, pointing to some random spot on the paper. “We have two choices.”

“Where to cross the river?”

“We can go east, there are more opportunities to cross but flooding is going to be much worse. Our other choice is to go west into the barrowlands. Higher elevation, less chance of flooding but the geography has risks too.”

‘What risks?”

“All those valleys, the whole area is waiting to turn into a series of lakes. And if the dams go…”

“We need to cross before that happens, I get it. And we have no idea if or when.”

He sighed, his expression grave. “No. It’s the faster route and I’d bet we’d find better luck with the bridges but if those dams go, we’re dead.”

“It could be just as bad east of here, right? I say we risk it, lets out race the dams.”

He flashed a huge grin. She had given him the answer he hoped for. “Let’s go then.” The engine purred to life and Jon turned their truck around, beginning the slow crawl away from the torn out bridge.

The mudslides from yesterday still covered the road, but the lightened rain at least meant it had not grown worse. She watched Jon switching between the lower gears as he navigated through the banks and piles. “I couldn’t have done this.”

He glanced at her. “Done what?”

“You’re a better driver than I am, I’d have been stuck a long time ago.”

Their vehicle suddenly began to fishtail. Sansa tensed, gripping the armrest. Instinctively, her foot began to press down on the non-existent brake. She could feel the truck engine slow as Jon let go off the gas and turned the wheel sharply to the left and then the right. After, he turned on the four wheel drive and continued on as if nothing happened.

They were barely moving, Sansa could jog faster than their current speed. She studied Jon. His hands rested lightly on the steering wheel, his shoulders were relaxed and his focus was on the road in front of them. He looked calm. “Aren’t you upset at all?”

His brow wrinkled in confusion. “Upset about what?”

She waved her arms about. “This.”

His jaw clenched. “Do you really want me to tell you what I’m upset about?”

“Yes,” she shrieked. Sansa could not even say why she was asking, it seemed as if Jon had not reacted to any of what happened.

“I may not show my feelings the same way as you but that doesn’t mean I don’t have them. Do you know what is waiting for me back in Winterfell? Your brother and a town council, my staff, all waiting for me to get back so we can start working on a plan to keep an entire damn town of people alive this winter. We have no jail and no hospital. It’s a farm and ranch community. That means people are spread out and communication is going to be difficult. That salt rain just ruined most of our neighbor's crops. There isn’t enough feed for the livestock.” He slammed on the brakes and turned his attention to her. “Look around, Sansa. There have barely been any cars on the road with us. It hasn’t sunk in for anyone yet but when it does, do you know what will happen? They’ll look at a map and see the same damn thing I did. Winterfell is far from any major rivers and the ocean, it’s got lots of forest for hunting and fertile land for farming. People are going to descend upon us like locusts. And you want to know if I am upset?” Sansa did not miss the bitter edge to his voice when he asked that question.

If Sansa was honest, she had not considered any of this. Winterfell meant safety and refuge. Her mother and big brother waited for her. She only needed to get home and everything would be better. She picked up the hand laying at his side, grasping it with her own. “I'm sorry,” she whispered. It felt woefully inadequate.

Jon looked at their hands laced together and squeezed before his gaze returned to hers. The angry expression was gone, replaced with hurt. “Do you know what else I’m upset about?” He ripped his hand away, putting it on the steering wheel. “I’m stuck here with the woman I love who fucking hates my guts and I don’t know how to fix it. The only damn thing I know how to do right now is take her home so that’s what I’m doing. So, in answer to your question, yes, I’m upset. I’m very, very upset.” The truck began moving forward once again.

Ten minutes later, Jon took a sharp left onto a different road, his truck handled the fallen rocks and deep pools with ease, driving over it all as if they were on a smooth freeway. They moved along, higher into the mountains of the barrowlands, Jon followed the road, turning a corner gently. The mudslides were gone, plain black pavement stretched in front of them.

Jon pressed the brake. “Look up ahead, see that open stretch,” he said, indicating a bit of white road a mile or so ahead of him. “That’s the dam and we’re gonna cross it.”

“Okay, so this is gonna sound odd. But, can I go to the bathroom first?” She felt nervous all the sudden.

He turned off the engine. “Last chance. Once we cross, we can’t stop.”

Sansa got out, wandering into the nearby woods. She made the mistake of looking down into the valley below before heading back. Sansa ran towards the truck, calling Jon’s name.

He stood next to their vehicle, watching her come towards him.

Sansa grabbed his arm. “Come on, I don’t know what to do.”

“Do about what?” He let her lead him back into the bit of woods between the road and the canyon edge. Jon heaved a great sigh and gave her a pitying look.

Beneath them was a flooded out valley, the rain and lakes and rivers in the area had done their damage. Several homes were either submerged or mostly so. Sansa counted a dozen roofs with people on them. A few wore rain gair, several had umbrellas. None had any means of escape. “Are they waiting for rescue?”

“We need to go.” He turned away, back to the truck.

Sansa stayed there. A figure noticed her and stared back. Sansa couldn’t be sure but she thought it was another woman. She returned to the truck.

“Jon….” She called out before coming to an abrupt halt as she ran into him.

A strange man, wearing a dark shirt and jeans, all of it covered in mud, stood across from Jon. The passenger door stood open. “I’m not planning on hurting either of you. I’m hungry.” His words were slurred.

There were no other vehicles around, she wondered where the stranger came from.

“You can stop looking. We don’t have anything,” Jon bit out. He made no effort to move.

The stranger took a couple of faltering steps towards the door and leaned in. Jon gave an irritated sigh and followed after, grabbing the man by the shoulder before shoving him against the door. He lost his balance and began to fall towards the blacktop. The tip of Jon’s boot met  the man’s ribs three times, quickly followed by a series of kicks to his sides. He began moaning before cries escaped him.

Jon turned away. “Get in the truck. Now.”

Sansa did as instructed, feeling numb. As they drove away, she glanced in the passenger side mirror. The stranger had started pulling himself to his feet. “Was that necessary?”

“I could smell the alcohol on him. Drunks can turn very violent, very fast,” he said harshly, running his hands through his hair. “I wasn’t about to share with him or waste time talking.”

They approached the top of the dam. In front of them, an old black sports car sat in the road, it’s driver’s side door open. Jon drove around it, allowing Sansa a chance to peek inside. It was empty and looked to have been for awhile.

“Oh, gods,” she cried.

The road across it was already half flooded, she could not tell how deep the water went. Jon had been right, it would burst eventually. Sansa thought of the woman on her roof.

“Last chance. Still want to do this?”

No, she didn’t. “We're racing against it, remember?”

“Your turn to drive. We have no idea how deep that water is. I’m going ahead. You follow behind me. Slow.”  He turned away, focusing on her. “We can’t turn around in that. It’s gonna be a real bitch if we need to go back.”

Sansa did not know how to respond. She pulled off her seat belt, leaning in to cup his cheeks. “I’ll be right behind you.” She kissed him, lightly, pulling away before he could react. “Don’t read anything into that.”

“Oh, I’m reading.” He opened the door to get out. “Remember, slow, and stay right behind me.”

The incessant beating of rain on metal was the only sound she could hear. Sana squeezed her fists tight before placing her hands on the wheel and began to move forward. In any other circumstances, she would laugh at the absurdity of Jon preparing for a stroll through a river. Or admire the outline of his chest through the rain-soaked shirt. Now, she only wanted him to be safe.

Jon waded into the stream, she could see him fighting the current. He took a few more steps and staggered before pulling himself upright and beckoning her to follow. The water only came to his knees. Sansa let the car creep towards him. The water rose to his thighs. A few steps more and she followed.

As soon as the truck was submerged, Sansa realized the truth behind Jon’s warning. They could not go back. The water was not still, it streamed across one side, across the causeway. This close, she could see the surging currents as the water streamed over the face of the dam.

Jon raised his hand, directing her to stop, as he waded back and forth, slowly guiding her movements. The road was not even, the quakes and the storms had done their damage. At one point, he stepped and the water rose to his waist before he moved again. It went on and on, a few steps, he would hit the hood, and she would creep forward. The incessant sound of rain stayed with her through it all.

A final burst of gas and they were across the causeway and the surging river. Jon limped towards her. Sansa opened the truck to let him take over and then promptly changed her mind.

“It’s my turn to drive. Come on,” She gathered him up as best she could, leading him to the passenger side. Her body was racked with the violence of his shivers. Sansa got him inside before returning to the other side of the vehicle.

As she climbed in, Sansa saw what she thought was a grey truck on the other side of the causeway begin the same journey they had just finished. There was no one guiding the vehicle though, she knew what that meant.

Jon sat just as she had left him, the shivering seemed to have only grown worse. His breathing was slow and shallow. Sansa turned on the heater.

She got on her knees to lean over him and cup his face. She wanted to feel for a pulse but didn’t know how. “Jon, we need to take your clothes off.”

“You just want to get in my pants,” he mumbled. Jon spoke so quietly she could barely hear him.

Sansa took off his shirt as gently as she could, trying not to move him, before unzipping his jeans. Jon did not protest or offer to help. “I can’t get these off you by myself.” He lifted, just enough for her to get his jeans and boxer briefs off. Black ones, she noticed. Sansa pulled off his boots before removing his pants the rest of the way.

She quickly tucked the blue blanket from that morning around him before turning to the back, pulling clothes from her suitcase and stacking them on him. Sansa didn’t know what else to do. He looked drowsy but she wasn’t sure if it was safe for him to fall asleep.

“Don’t fall asleep Jon. You have to tell me how to drive this thing, I’ve never driven in mountains before,” she hissed.

“It’s easy. Don’t drive over the edge or we’ll die.” He still mumbled but she thought it wasn’t quite as bad.

“That doesn’t help.”

“Coast down, don’t ride the brakes.”

Sansa turned on the engine and began to ease forward. In the rear view mirror, she saw two figures standing in the rushing water next to their stalled out vehicle. She studied Jon, his eyes were closed, she could not tell if he was asleep. Sansa stroked his cheek, feeling the closely shorn whiskers.

His eyes shot open. “I’m not asleep.” His lids slowly closed.

She began to drive forward, rounding a bend in the canyon, beginning the gradual decline out of the barrowlands. A sound broke through the quiet hum of the engine and the constant rain.

Sansa looked behind her. “Gods,” she cried out.

The dam was going. One whole side of it crumbled, so very fast, and suddenly a lake fell down, a thick wall of water pummeling towards the earth below. Sansa thought of the people she had seen trapped on their roofs and the woman who stared back at her. They would all see their death coming towards them.

“Go, just go.” His eyes were closed and his voice drowsy.

“Jon?”

“I never cheated, Sansa. I fell in love with you from our first kiss. I would never…” He was asleep.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and drove away. The road tilted ahead, she used the brakes sparingly and crawled forward. It turned into a pattern, a straight stretch down on smooth road, then more downhill on broken and twisted road. An endless rhythm back and forth as they went ever northward, slowly leaving the barrowlands behind them.

Sansa gripped the wheel tightly through it all, afraid to so much as glance away from the strip of concrete that lay in front of her. Jon slept through every bit of it.

The road had shattered into several separate pieces. Sansa stared at the concrete islands, deciding speed was best. She surged forward, moving from plate to plate as quickly as she could. Several of the plates lurched and rolled as she drove over them but it held.

The road curled out of the mountains and then suddenly became a smooth, straight line into the plains below. The rain picked up, a furious, lashing attack. Sansa noticed the time on the dash, it was past five PM, she had driven for hours and not realized it. She also did not know where to go next. She pulled over to the side of the road to decide next steps.

Unbidden, Sansa thought of the Gloria Gaynor song her mother loved. She began to quietly sing _I Will Survive_ to herself while searching about for the maps she knew Jon had hidden away.

“Are you actually singing that song AT me?” The harshness of his words were weakened by his soft, amused voice.

“You’re awake,” she exclaimed. Sansa lunged at him, pulling the clothes and blanket down to inspect. “You look good.”

He smirked. “I always look good.” He threw the clothes in the back, letting the blanket rest around his waist. “Where are we?”

“Out of the mountains, on our way to Torrhen’s Square, I think, but not sure how far. I was trying to find a map to figure out where to go to next.”

“Don’t need it, I know where we are.” He got up, turning around in the seat, treating Sansa to a long expanse of hip and leg. “Dammit, I’m running out of dry clothes,” he muttered, pulling a pair of sweats and another t shirt from his travel bag.

“How do you feel?”

“Tired.” His stomach grumbled. “And hungry.” He looked at the time and the rapidly darkening sky. “We can continue on or we can stay here and wait for the morning.”

Sansa thought about that bridge and the ruined car beneath it. “Wait until morning. Sleeping in trucks during rainstorms has been one of my fantasy vacations for awhile now.”

He quietly laughed. “Good.”

She studied him as they ate together. Jon looked rested, peaceful even.

They had not been together long, only a matter of weeks. She still didn’t know what happened, only that they had loved each other and planned to tell her family, and then it had been as if they never were at all. “Do you remember what you said before you fell asleep?”

He grimaced. “Please don’t tell me I confessed some embarrassing secret.”

She grabbed his face, studying him, wanting to figure out the truth.

“If you want to know something, you could just ask.”

“Did you mean it?” She would never know the truth, either she believed him or she did not. “What you told me about her?”

His face fell as he pulled her hands off him. “She showed up in the middle of the night, drunk. I let her sleep in my bed, I slept on the couch. Kicked her out in the morning and have not seen her since. I don’t even know where she is.”

She would never know the truth. “I believe you.”

He leaned back against the seat, groaning. “Well, that’s something.”

“We could have died today.”

“But, we didn’t.” Jon turned on the dome light. “We’re both right here.”

They could have died and Jon said he loved her. Twice. She squeezed her eyes shut before moving quickly, climbing over and straddling his hips. “We aren’t back together.”

He shook his head, acknowledging her.

“This doesn’t mean anything.”

He gripped her waist. “Now, that, I’m going to disagree with.”

Sansa bent down, kissing him. She felt one hand slide under her shirt, stroking her skin. The other grabbed her neck, pulling her into him. She opened her mouth, wanting to invite him in, to taste him, to lose herself for a little while. She gave in to the feel of Jon’s lips as they blended together, let herself enjoy the feel of his fingertips along her waist and rib cage.

She pulled away, not wanting to go any further. “We’re not back together,” she whispered. “I only needed -”

Jon didn’t let her finish “It’s fine, I get it. I needed it too.” He kissed her chin before pulling her off him. He grabbed the blanket that had fallen to the floor.

Sansa leaned against him, letting him cover the both of them up. She wasn’t prepared to talk any more. “So, I hear Robb went and forced you to be the sheriff. Tell me, on a scale of one to Jon Snow, how much do you hate it?”

He laughed before proceeding to tell her all about life as an officer of the law in a small ranching town. Sansa let herself enjoy the sound of his voice for the first time since he knocked on her door, she had missed it.

Outside, the rain still fell, not giving them a break from the sound of drops falling on metal.

 

 _The comet disappears  into the far depths of space, no longer visible from the blue planet so far below._  

 _On Earth, the rain still falls, turning deserts into lake and ponds into ocean. The cold winds begin to rise. Volcanoes  pour forth lava. The seas are lashed by hurricanes. Braavos is gone. Volantis is covered by ash. No trace of the Iron Islands is left._  

_Far to the south, long forgotten enmities between the Reach and Dorne begin to return. In the Vale, the old clans begin to fight once more._

_In the Riverlands, parents send their young children out to pick crops before it is all lost. In Ramsgate, an old man uses a shotgun on his beloved wife before turning it on himself._

 

_The comet is gone but its work is not yet done._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annarosym made this mood for board for Hammerfall. That running wall of water fits with this chapter perfectly. Looking at these while writing always helps me get into the story.  
> <http://kittykatknits.tumblr.com/post/161265142872/annarosym-fic-rec-images-inspired-by-and>


	8. Chapter 8

**_Two Days after Hammerfall_ **

 

Jon woke in the darkness, unsure of the hour. A body lay curled up against him, half in his lap, head resting on his shoulder. Sansa’s sleep was restless, she jerked and kicked at him. Once she cried out. Jon began to slide the palm of his hand from her neck to the small of her back and up again which seemed to calm her a bit. He repeated the gesture before sleep claimed him.

Later, his eyes opened as he felt harsh winds screaming as they struck the vehicle, rocking it about. Sansa was staring at him. “Hurricanes I think,” he told her. She kept staring. “So far away, we’ll get nothing but the same type of storms we’ve seen in Winterfell. Go back to sleep.” He pushed her head back down on his shoulder where it had lain before. Incredibly, it worked, her breathing slowed almost immediately. Jon dozed.

He woke again but this time it was from the quiet. Jon could not hear the incessant patter of tiny drops against his truck. Outside had an eerie silence to it. He looked up at the sky, a large patch of bright stars shone down on them. He stroked Sansa’s back and drifted once more.

The rain came back, violent and loud. Sansa whimpered and cried out. Jon stroked along her spine and slept on.

Finally, the morning was upon them and the rain resumed its usual pattern,  with its constant sound of pattering on metal. The sky had lightened, a hint of sun peeking through an ugly grey sky. Jon did not move, Sansa still lay against him. All he could see of her was a mess of bright auburn tangles, her face buried in the crook of his shoulder. His body felt stiff, sore. He was not used to sitting for great stretches of time as they had been.

Keeping still, Jon gazed about to see where they were, he guessed less than an hour from Torrhen’s Square based upon the distance between them and the mountains he could see in the rear view mirror. Every few minutes, a car passed, moving north as they did. Sansa had pulled off into a field parallel to the road, they shared it with a few other vehicles. Jon could not tell if they were abandoned or if their own passengers rested inside.

He moved slightly, combing his fingers through her hair as he let his mind wander. He would need to wake her soon, but not yet, it had been a year since she’d been this close. He was the world’s biggest fool, even asleep Sansa reminded him of it.

He moved her hair back so her features were visible. She looked relaxed, less guarded than the previous day. Jon began to stroke her cheek. “Sansa,” he whispered. He repeated her name again a few seconds later.

“Go away.” She sounded groggy.

He grinned, making sure to tighten his arms around her before speaking. “I can’t, you’re laying on me.”

Sansa moved, laying her hands on his chest and pushing up, her eyes were half lidded as she slowly focused on him. “Jon.”

He inwardly sighed, suspecting the most enjoyable part of his day was already over. “We need to get up and moving.”

She quickly proved him right, pulling away to sit by the steering wheel. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to squash you.”

Jon felt a sudden chill as the heat of her body left him. “Don’t be, I enjoyed it.” He’d deliberately kept his tone light but he could see the shift in her features. He continued before she could speak. “I know we aren’t together but I meant what I said too, it meant something.” He stiffened, preparing for her response.

He could tell Sansa’s struggle from the way she studied him. “Did you know I was seeing someone when you came to get me?”

“Harry.” Jon despised that guy. A sick part of him was grateful the man probably died from the tsunami.  “Were you in love?”

She hesitated. “No. We had fun, he made me laugh. Perhaps it would have gotten serious. Or not. We haven’t seen each other in a year, Jon. He wasn’t the only man I’ve dated in that time either. I’m not prepared to pick up as if nothing happened.”

He avoided looking at her, trying to decide how best to respond. “I’m not going to give up, you know.”

“Yeah, see, I think you did a year ago.” Her voice sounded brittle to him, Jon wasn’t sure what to make of it. She didn’t speak with confidence or any great degree of surety.

Jon wanted to explain, but instead, it felt as if his throat closed up and embarrassment took him. He did not answer.

Sansa took his silence as acknowledgement, changing the subject. “Let’s eat.”

He felt raw. “I need to walk around for a bit, even if it means getting soaked. We’re approaching Torrhen’s Square, there are going to be more people about, too.”

She grinned, looking pleased. “That’s good, isn’t it?”

No, it wasn’t. Jon would prefer they not see or interact with anyone until arriving in Winterfell. He took a long swig from the water bottle she handed him. “People aren’t predictable. After we eat, I want to go over a few things with you. As for breakfast, I’ve been saving it.” He sat up, facing the back seat to dig into the box of food he’d brought with. “I thought you would like---”

“Jon, look, a family,” she belted out before opening the vehicle door and running towards a dark grey SUV.

“To have some of these lemon treats I had Gilly make for you,” he said to an empty cabin before getting out and following, intending to bring her back.

He was too late, Sansa was already talking to the woman. “Jon, this is Elizabeth.”

Jon gave a polite response, looking over the family. The two children did not say a word, staring at him with big eyes. They were afraid of him, the realization was unsettling. The woman, Elizabeth, had brown hair and looked to be in her thirties.

A man, Jon guessed it was the husband, approached them. “George Harington. How are you?” He eyed the slope of the man’s shoulders and the size of his belly, deciding he sat at a desk for a living and had a gym membership he never used.

“Jon Snow, pleased to meet you.”

“Where are you two headed?” the woman asked.

“Going home, we hope.” He avoided giving a name. She seemed not to notice.

“You wouldn’t happen to have any information about White Harbor, would you? Our phones aren’t working and nothing but static on the radio,” said George.

Jon considered before deciding to be blunt. “Gone. All of it. White Harbor and everything south hit by tidal wives. Further north, massive flooding. Whatever is left, if it didn’t drown then it burned.”

Harington stared at him, not understanding. He blinked. “Gone? Everyone dead? Shit. A whole city, gone.”

“Yeah.” He felt Sansa take his hand.

“I knew it. I told you, Liz, didn’t I? That damn comet. We took the family camping several days back,  just in case, I had a feeling. It’ll be days before services start to return then.” He looked at his wife. “Should we go for Torrhen’s Square or try for that Night’s Watch camp? It should be east of here.”

Jon didn’t know why the man bothered to ask his wife, she didn’t look in any shape to answer. He considered keeping quiet until noticing the pleading look Sansa gave him. “I used to be a Night’s Watch officer, make for that. They’ll be prepared to offer assistance.” Jon doubted it.

They said their goodbyes before returning to their respective vehicles. Sansa stood in the rain, watching the family climb into their car and driving away. She seemed deflated. He felt helpless. He left her to use up the last remaining gas can and then tossed it into the truck bed. They may still have need of it.

“Sansa, move around for a few minutes, go to the bathroom. I want to take care of a few things.” He watched her wander away before popping the hood and checking fluids. It wasn’t necessary but he didn’t want to take chances. He closed it before disappearing into a nearby cluster of tall grasses to piss.

He returned to find Sansa waiting for him. “You lied, didn’t you?”

He bristled at that. “I gave them hope, there was nothing else I could do. We aren’t going to bring the entire damn north home with us so there’s no point in arguing. It’s not going to happen.” She opened her mouth before closing it. That annoyed him. “And don’t look at me like I’m the world’s biggest piece of shit either.” He left her standing there, with her uncombed hair now wet and her grey sweatshirt mostly black from the water.

Jon opened the third door to the extended cab before pulling off the t shirt he wore and throwing it inside, he didn’t even know what he was looking for. A hand landed on his shoulder. He stiffened.

“I don’t think that about you. These past couple days have been, well, hard feels like an understatement. I want to help you.”

He turned around to see Sansa standing almost right up next to him. She wore a concerned frown, her hair was matted down the sides of her face now. He drew his right hand into a fist, he wanted to kiss her.

Jon slowly nodded. “I want to show you a few things. Besides the food, here’s a first aid kit, water purification tablets, a small hand ax, a larger one, a two man tent, snare wire, a camp stove, a small propane tank, a lantern, flashlights.” He pointed out every object as he named them.

“I don’t know how to use a snare wire, I’ve never even gone hunting.” She looked confused.

“Did Robb teach you to shoot?”

She nodded, still unsure. “Some with a rifle, don’t look to me to defend us though. I’ll probably just shoot my foot off.”

He didn’t laugh at her attempted joke. “We’ll work on that when we get home, you need to know.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste, he ignored it. “There’s a knife under both the passenger and driver seats. On the floor of the back seat is a rifle, still inside its glove. Rounds are under the passenger seat. There is a pistol under mine, also unloaded. A box next to it has the bullets. Do you know how to load a pistol?”

“I’ve never touched one. Why are you telling me this now?” she asked suspiciously.

“We’ll work on that too and I’m telling you now because we are going to be around people soon.” He sounded snappish and he knew it. Jon rubbed his hand across his face before pulling his wet hair back. He tried again, speaking softer. “It’s going to start sinking in and people are going to panic. If something happens to me, you need to know all this.”

She rolled her eyes. “Nothing is going to happen to you.”

“I appreciate you believing in me.”

“Don’t get sarcastic.”

“I’m not, scout’s honor.”

“You were never a scout.” She was grinning though.

“I’d have made the rest of them look bad.”

“You’d have given them no choice but to kick you out.” She studied him, palming one of his cheeks so he met her eyes. “In the stories, knights always come to rescue their ladies on a white horse. Mine has a black truck. I wasn’t being fair to you and I’m sorry. Yesterday, what all you said, I’ve been thinking on it. I want to help. First though, let’s get out of the rain and eat.” She kissed him briefly before walking away.

Jon stood there with his mouth hanging open before giving a quick shake of his head, closing the extended door. He looked up at the ugly grey sky, feeling surprised the sun had not appeared. It should have. He climbed inside.

Sansa sat there, holding the lemon treats in her hands. “Where did these come from?” Her voice was higher pitched than usual. Jon thought she might start to cry.

“I asked Gilly to make them while I was getting ready to go get you. I remembered they were one of your favorites.”

She bit into one before licking her lips and moaning. “Tell Gilly thank you for me. Actually, no, don’t. I want to tell her myself.” Jon wondered if she realized that would mean coming over to his place since the Tarlys were staying there. He kept quiet just in case. Sansa continued on, not noticing his silence. “Torrhen’s Square is a good sized town, can we go around it?”

“I hope so, north east. It’s nothing but farm country, woods, and small towns.”

“Yesterday, you said Robb waited for you to come back. The two of you have plans, don’t you?”

“Yes,” he said tersely. They had spent hours mapping out what to do just in case, he wasn’t sure Sansa would entirely approve. “If you want to change, you might want to do so now.”

“What about you?”

“I’m running out of dry clothes.” Jon looked out the driver’s window toward the road. An old white sedan, he didn’t recognize the model, drove past, covered in mud. It slowed to a crawl as it neared them. Inside, Jon could see a pair of men in black uniforms. They stared back. Dread fell over him as it slowed further and began to pull over the side of the road, close to them. “Put your seat belt on, now,” he barked at her.

Jon waited until the car stopped and he saw matching sets of boots appear on the ground before starting the engine with a roar. He slammed it into drive before pressing all the way down on the gas pedal.

Sansa kept quiet, waiting patiently for an answer. He looked back in the rear view mirror several times before answering. “They wore Night’s Watch uniforms but drove an old car and one had long hair.” He saw the look of confusion on her face. “Not allowed in the military. Or maybe I’m paranoid.”

“No, I trust your instincts.” She turned, looking out the back window. “No one there. And don’t look, because I’m going to change.”

“I’m driving.”

“That won’t stop you.” Sansa lifted the sweatshirt off her shoulders

“You aren’t wearing a bra.”

“Eyes on the road, mister.” She pulled another sweatshirt on before combing her hair. “You know what we need? A hot bath.”

He gave her a devilish grin. “If I make you one, can I join in?”

“No.” She raised one brow. “You were serious earlier, weren’t you?”

He thought it was obvious. “Yes.”

She did not answer, pulling her knees up and staring at the road in front of them. He didn’t mind.

The rain was a light drizzle, if he tried, Jon could almost pretend it wasn’t there. The wind was mild too but the temperature was cooler than it should be for the summer. He wasn’t sure what to make of that. Traffic was light, a car appearing every so often. Refugees from horror, looking for a sanctuary that didn’t exist. The driving was easy, no mud slides or flooding, only the occasional broken bit of slab or concrete. He’d driven on gravel roads that took more effort.

“We’re getting ready to turn east in a few minutes, bypassing the main highway out of town, we should get a good look at it though.” He expected to see half the city fleeing.

“How do you know all this?”

“I looked at a map.”

She didn’t answer, back to staring out the window once more. He could see her interest every time a car neared them, Sansa would try and peek inside, he’d seen her do it many times before.

He turned left onto a two lane road, trees sparsely populated the roadside. “Look out my window, you can see the highway out of Torrhen’s Square.” It was a parking lot.

She purposefully turned away from him. “I don’t think I want too,” she said quietly.

“I’m sorry.” The silence between them felt strained. He didn’t know what to say.

An hour later, they passed a sign welcoming them to the historic town of Little Barrow.

“Margaery and I came here a couple years ago for an art festival, made a long weekend out of it. Do you want to know a secret?”

He grinned. Despite the grimness of their situation, it felt as if Sansa was inviting him into her world again. “I’ll even promise not to tell.”

“I think her and my brother have a crush on each other. Well, I know Margaery does and I’m pretty sure it’s the same for him. If I can find her, I’m going to set them up. She’s in Highgarden so she should…” Her voice slowly faded.

“Shit.” Jon pressed the brake harder than he meant too, causing the both of them to jerk forward. He grabbed her hand, squeezing. She did not pull away.

Jon could call Little Barrow a ghost town, it had no sign of life anywhere. The main road was empty, there were no people standing about, no one walking on a sidewalk. No people in cars, at least none that were alive. “I need you to look for people, Sansa. Can you do that?”

“They’re already dead,” she whispered.

“If we see anyone, it could be the people who did this.” He’d stopped in front of a small grocery store on the town’s main street. Two cars had been set on fire, charred corpses still inside. Bodies lay about the empty spaces. “I suspect a fight broke out over the food inside.” He moved forward, speeding out of the town, wanting to leave it behind them.

“Do you think Winterfell will be like that? You said the two of you had a plan.” Sansa looked pale.

“No, I’m certain it isn’t.” Jon wasn’t sure how much to tell her, trying to explain all of it to her was more than he could handle. He glanced at her, she needed something. “I doubled the number of deputies working for me, people we know well. Winterfell has two grocery stores, both are now property of the town. Robb also has someone assigned to gather outside news as much as possible so we know what’s going on.” He stopped, that was enough for now.

“I’m going to help you, like I said I would.”

That confused him. “There isn’t much to do but sit here.”

“Not now.” She drew closer to him, turning to stare. “I may not seem useful, but I am. Sure, I can’t hunt or farm or milk a cow and I’m sure those are all precious skills but I can’t do any of them. Stop laughing.”

Jon tried. “I can’t help it.”

She spoke over him. “There is one thing I have that you don’t.”

“Being pretty?”

“Two things then. I’m also very good at getting what I want. You can use me against Robb if you two ever argue, he’s always trying to make his little sister happy. It’s a very precious skill.” She was right, Robb had doted on Sansa when they were younger.   

“Does that mean you’ll take my side then?” he asked

“If you deserve it.” She grew serious then, pulling his hand into her lap, stroking along the palm. “I am right though. You two will try to bully everyone into doing what you want. I’ll let you know how else you need me as soon as we get home.”

“We aren’t home yet and I could have told you that.” Jon’s stomach tensed as he deliberated on what else to say. “You’re going to help me now actually. There’s a decision to make.” He pulled over.

“What?”

Jon parked before turning to face her. Sansa’s lips had a shine to them, he’d bet she tasted like strawberries. “We’re ten minutes from Middle Barrow and we’ve got a choice to make. We can continue on the path I originally planned, taking us through it or we can detour, go through the wolfs wood. We’d come out slightly west of Winterfell and would have to journey back some.” He knew what he would prefer. After what they’d seen, Jon wanted to avoid people as much as possible.

“Which is faster?”

“If we continue on as we are, home in only a few hours. If we detour, maybe late this afternoon or evening.”

“You decide.”

He shook his head. “Nope, I’m putting it on you.”

Sansa gave him an exasperated look. “I did. You think it’s safer to take the longer route after what we just saw but you’ll do what I want. Do I have it right so far?” She waited for his acknowledgement before continuing, “Then that’s what we do. I’m not avoiding a decision, I’m saying I trust you. There’s a difference.”

Jon wanted to kiss her. “Let’s go then. One last thing, be on the lookout for abandoned cars that look like they have gas in them. We’re going to steal some.”

“Full tanks only, got it.” She patted his leg. “Let’s go, then.”

They continued on for the next several hours, stopping only once to relieve a green Chrysler of its spare gas and eat. Sansa kept the conversation between them light although he was fairly certain she did most of the talking.

Jon was surprised at how easy this portion of their journey had been. The roads were cracked and split but that was the worst of it. The rain was only a drizzle but the wind continued, punctuated by the occasional burst. “Will you grab my shirt? It should be dry.” He slowed to a crawl, pulling it on over his shoulders. He sped back up and took a left turn.

“We’re only a couple hours away, aren’t we?” Sansa sounded gleeful.

He gave her a small smile, feeling somehow disappointed. “Maybe less.” Five minutes later, Jon noticed a car had not passed them in some time. He could see one behind them in the distance, far enough away that he could not make any details. “Something’s wrong.”

He followed the road as it curved to the left before slamming on the brakes. “Shit. Shit. Shit.” He slammed on the steering wheel.

Several downed trees blocked their path, there was no getting around them. On the side of the road, people huddled under a shelter made with blue tarp. One of the men had a gun at this hip, Jon could not make out the model

“We can figure it out,” Sansa told him soothingly.

He didn’t answer. Behind them, the car he’d seen in the distance was quickly approaching before it too slammed on the brakes and stopped. They couldn’t leave.

“We’re trapped, Sansa,” he yelled out. “Get that shotgun I told you about.” He reached under his seat to pull out the pistol.

She didn’t move. “Jon, you don’t know they want to hurt us.”

“I’m not telling you again.” Jon wasn’t sure if it was his tone or expression that made Sansa flinch before grabbing the shotgun, still in its sleeve. “It’s a single shot, as simple as can be. Load it. You’re probably right but I’m not taking a chance either. Stay in here until I tell you it’s safe.”

Jon opened the door slowly, keeping a careful watch on the people under the blue tarp. There were two men with axes along with women and kids. One of them had a baby in her arms. He approached warily, noticing the cars on the other side of the road, hidden by the tarp. They were stuck too.

The two men approached him, looking suspicious. He didn’t bother giving them a chance to speak. “Jon Snow. Need a hand?”

An arm came around him. “And I’m Sansa. That couple behind me is Tim and Martha.”

Introductions were made and Sansa gave him her best I told you so face, sticking her tongue out at him. They walked back to their vehicle so he could get his ax out.

Jon sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled. Hell, I probably shouldn’t have tied you up either.”

“No, you should not have. Make it up to me, Jon Snow.” He thought she was going to say something else, but she only squeezed his hand before walking away.

It was almost completely dark by the time they finished and Jon was exhausted. They only had the three axes between them to cut the trees apart, chopping them into smaller pieces that could be moved. Every muscle in him was sore, his arms and shoulders were throbbing. Sansa spent much of the time under the tarp. As best he could tell, she’d adopted the baby.

After, they all huddled under the makeshift cover, sharing their food. A small fire had been started. A gathering of the hopeless and pathetic, he thought to himself. The older couple and one family drove away into the darkness.

“Foolish driving around when you can’t see, after everything.” The man shook his head “Where are you two headed?” Jon did not miss the pleading sound in his voice.

“Home to Winterfell. How about you?” Sansa pointedly did not look at him.

“We don’t know, we’re almost out of gas. We were going to White Harbor but that’s probably a waste of time. My name’s Ned Dayne. This is my wife-”

“Call me Asha. This is little Ned and the baby here is Arthur.”

Sansa grabbed his arm, squeezing, a silent plea. He studied Ned Dayne. The man was muscular, with broad shoulders and chest. “Are you former military?”

“Former Night’s Watch, got out just a few years ago.”

“Can you shoot?”

“I’m not a sharpshooter but decent enough.”

Sansa kept quiet during the exchange, her focus was on the children. She squeezed his arm again. It was the right thing to do. “Come with us tomorrow morning. We’ll need to sleep in separate cars but we can make it work in the morning, it’s a short drive. You got lucky, Mr. Dayne, you happen to be talking to the sheriff. If you can shoot, I’ve got work for you.” Jon was pretty certain he could find something.

The wife begin to wipe her face. After several rounds of thank yous that only left him feeling embarrassed, the two of them returned to their vehicle.

“This is our final night of sleeping in this thing,” Sansa said excitedly.

“I thought this was your fantasy vacation.” He began rubbing his shoulders. “Will you do me a favor? In the first aid kit, there should be some motrin or tylenol or something. Can you grab several for me?”

Sansa handed him three and a bottle of water. “Are you sore?”

He snorted. “In my defense, I ended up spending a good six or seven hours swinging an ax and hauling logs.” Jon swallowed the pills.

“You did a good thing just now.” She went digging through the bag she kept by her feet. “Turn around and take your shirt off.”

Jon put up his sun shade to give them some privacy before doing as ordered. The first stroke along his shoulder and Jon let out a harsh groan.

“It’s lemon and coconut, nothing overly girly.”

He’d stink of roses if it meant getting her hands on him. Jon closed his eyes, relaxing into Sansa’s touches as she worked along his neck and down his back. She finished, her palm resting by his right hip.

“Thank you.”

“You should get some sleep.” She turned off the dome light so they were in the dark.

“I don’t want too.” He felt surprisingly awake.

“Do you want to talk?”

“Nope, we’ve been talking all day.” Maybe he was exhausted after all.

“Oh. You want to do that.”

He gave a raspy laugh. “That. I’ve been wanting to do that for the past three days. I’ll settle for a kiss or a good round of making out in the car like a pair of teenagers if I can talk you into it. And a date when we get home.” Definitely exhausted.

Jon wished he could see her face. “No making out and not a date. Two people getting together to talk and discuss things.”

“‘Talk and discuss things.’ That’s fair.” He’d take it.

Jon dove, finding her in the dark. He cupped her neck, his thumb stroking that sensitive spot behind her lobe. Their lips met and Jon licked at her, taking the kiss deeper when her lips parted for him. He felt her arms coming around his shoulders, pulling him close. He took advantage, sliding the tips of his fingers down her side and back up, settling on her breast. Sansa moaned against him in response before pulling away, breathless.

“I think that’s enough for now,” she murmured against him.

Jon gave a short grunt of frustration  “For now,” he  repeated. “I guess you expect me to go to sleep now that I have my good night kiss.”

“Something like that.” Sansa tucked the blanket around them. “You better hurry up and get comfortable because I intend to use you as my pillow in just a minute.”

Outside, the rain continued in an endless drizzle while the Dayne family slept nearby. They’d be back in Winterfell tomorrow with all of its responsibilities. He pulled Sansa close, enjoying her presence as he closed his eyes and began to drift off.

_*****_

_Rain still falls to the ground. Hurricanes still lash the seas and nearby lands. The craters no longer glow bright._  

 _The rivers and forks of the riverlands continue to overflow, flooding one town and then the next._  

_The cold winds still rise and in the far, far north the first drops of snow begin to fall._

 

 _A band of survivors decide to eat their dead._  

_A lone wanderer is robbed of his remaining food._

 

  _The comet’s work continues._

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annarosym made this mood for board for Hammerfall. That running wall of water fits with this chapter perfectly. Looking at these while writing always helps me get into the story.  
> <http://kittykatknits.tumblr.com/post/161265142872/annarosym-fic-rec-images-inspired-by-and>


	9. Chapter 9

**_Three Days After Hammerfall_ **

“Come on, Sansa. Wake up.” Fingers were tickling behind her ear. She slapped them away. A low, rumbling laugh came next. “A few more minutes then.”

Sansa did not move from where she rested, Jon made a lovely body pillow. She began tracing a small circle where her hand rested on his chest. His arms tightened around her. “It’s still dark out and I feel as if I never slept at all,” she said groggily. 

“You kept waking up from nightmares.” She did not remember that. “I need to get back. Believe me, I’ve loved our romantic getaway too, I’ll be sorry when it’s done.” He began combing through the strands of her hair, gently pulling apart the knots.

Sansa stayed still as her lids drifted shut. The rhythmic motion of his chest beneath her could easily lull her back to sleep if she let it. Sansa could imagine mornings like this one, except they’d be in his bed, rather than against the stiffness of a pulled back car seat. It was only a dream though, and dreams ended. She drew away from him but still snuggled under their shared blanket. 

It was early morning, the barest hint of pink sunrise was beginning to show towards the east. The rain fell but she was becoming used to the constant tap on metal, it made her think of the old grandfather clock at her parent’s house. Sansa had not noticed it’s chimes for several years. 

“Jon?” She waited for his hum of acknowledgement before continuing. “You’ll see plenty of me when we get home.” It had been the same yesterday morning too. He wanted more from her than she was ready to give, even if a part of her wished for the very same thing he did. “I’m not sure what you expect of me when you can’t even be honest about what happened between us.”

“I don’t want to tell you.” His voice sounded stiff to her ears but Sansa thought she heard embarrassment and an edge of vulnerability too. The realization was unsettling, Jon was afraid of what she’d do if he told her.

“You don’t have too.” He didn’t, not really. Sansa found his hand under the blanket, grasping it tightly with her own. “Let’s agree to be friends back  in Winterfell then. Last year, that was a few weeks of fun, nothing more. This trip, anything that happened, was two friends giving each other comfort.” 

“‘Not agreeing to that, it’s bullshit, and you know it.”  Jon squeezed her hand, dragging it into his lap when she attempted to pull away. “We were getting ready to tell your family and I’d bet we’d be planning a wedding by now. Go on, tell me I’m wrong.” She couldn’t. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. You want to know what else? I think I’m going to kiss you again.”

He did, quickly moving so she was laying back on the seat before his lips crashed down on hers. Sansa had a half-formed thought that she should push him away, instead she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close. Jon pressed his body against hers as their kiss deepened. She felt his hands cupping her face, his fingers twining through her hair as he broke off to kiss her jaw to the lobe of her ear. 

“I’m not agreeing to any of it.” His voice shook ever so slightly. The heat of his breath sent prickles of gooseflesh down her neck to her chest and arms. “You know me better than that.”

Sansa did. Jon was obstinate and generally thought he knew what was best, their relationship seemed to be no exception. “Will you let me up?”

Jon pulled away from her, offering a hand so she sat upright once more. “I’m not apologizing. It’s probably a good thing there’s an innocent family not so far from us.” 

“I wasn’t asking for one.” She wasn’t. Sansa had been enjoying herself too, but Jon did not need to know that. “Are you still sore?” 

He snorted, recognizing her attempt to change the subject. “Ask me when I’ve had a chance to move about.”

She stared out the window, not wanting to look at Jon. Dawn had passed although she could barely tell the difference. The sky was as grey as it ever was, the only clue to the sun was a patch of slightly brighter clouds in the east. “Jon, what did Sam tell you about the rain?”

“He doesn’t know, or at least he never told me. The better question is what happens after the rain stops.” 

“I would hope for some sunshine, it’s still summer.” 

He gave her an exasperated look. “We aren’t that lucky.”

Sansa was not sure how to answer that. “What’s waiting for us at home? Be honest with me this time.” She  was certain Jon was not telling her everything. His answer the previous day had been enough to calm her, not the complete truth.

He did not speak right away. “I’m not sure what to tell you.”

“Something more than a pair of grocery stores.” 

Jon did not move yet it felt as if he was withdrawing from her all the same. “I wasn’t intending on being here with you.” She flinched with guilt. “Our original plan was just as I said, secure the food and find out what could be found out.” That would not be much, the radio had not worked for two days. 

“What else?”

“Determine what communication was available and see  how people are doing. Secure borders around town and the area. Beyond that, I don’t know. This is our first apocalypse.” He didn’t laugh at his own joke. 

There was more, Sansa would bet on it. It was possible he did not want her to know for the same reason he kept quiet over their break up. “Are you trying to protect me?”

“I’m trying to keep you safe, yes. I’m not trying to protect you from the truth.” Himself then. 

“I’m going to help, you know. My mom told me last week Mrs. Glover is pregnant. Did you know that?” His surprised look told her well enough. “I thought so. You can’t make all the decisions alone, Jon.” Like she’d told him the previous day, Sansa was very good at getting what she wanted. 

“Get dressed and cleaned up. We need to eat and make room for a bunch of people and all their crap.” He shoved the blanket onto her before getting out of the car. “The Daynes are up. Wear long sleeves, it’s cool out.” 

He slammed the door shut before disappearing into the woods. Sansa took a sip of water before combing through her hair and pulling it up with a clip. She desperately wished for a shower or bath, Sansa was afraid to look at herself in a mirror. She took enough food for everyone before heading towards the tarp awning to join everyone else.

Jon and Ned Dayne were talking about the military, she was already bored. “Could I take Arthur again for a little while?” 

Asha handed him over. “He’ll be hungry soon.”

“I’ll give him back.” Sansa held the baby, laughing at his smiles. Several times, she caught Jon’s stares.

A caravan of cars suddenly sped by, the people in their vehicles turning to stare at them as they drove past. Everyone under the tarp grew quiet as they looked back. It made her feel lonely. 

“You can’t keep him.” She felt a hand on her shoulder. “I’m going to steal the rest of their gas. Can you start making room in the back of the truck? I’ll be over soon to help.”

Disappointed, Sansa gave up the baby before making her way back to their vehicle. She opened the extended door and let out an annoyed huff. It was a mess. The two of them had been lazy since leaving her home in White Harbor and it showed. Sansa began the dull task of cleaning up.

Jon was busy, seemingly paying her no attention at all. He seemed to think they could resume a relationship merely on his say so. He’d been right earlier, they would have been planning a wedding by now. But, that was before, their romance had been easy and felt more like a fairy tale to her than anything else. Now, he couldn’t bring himself to be honest with her. More, Sansa did not particularly care for the idea of being the constant emotional weight for him, tutoring Jon on how to be in a relationship. 

A hand settled on her hip, pulling her against a warm body. “Need help?” The deep whisper in her ear sent a shiver through her body.

Sansa turned, facing Jon. “You did that on purpose.”

He studied her, puzzled. “Did what?”

He hadn’t, Sansa didn’t like that at all. “Left me to do the boring clean up,” she lied.

“We can move most of it to the bed. It should be easy enough to protect it from the rain.” His hair and shirt were both damp. A drop landed on Jon’s cheek, sliding towards his neck. He didn’t seem to notice. “Mostly protect it.” 

“Jon.” She hadn’t planned to say his name.

He continued as if she had not spoken.. “You want to help?” 

She nodded.

He looked towards their shoes before meeting her eyes. “You had a point earlier.” Sansa stroked his forearm, hoping to encourage him. “When we get back, tell me what needs doing and I’ll listen.”

“Smart man.” She smiled at him, feeling pleased.

“One more thing. I want a date too.”

“Isn’t that blackmail? Or bribery, I’m not sure which is which.” She was stalling, not sure how to answer him.

“It’s a genuine request.” He stepped closer, pinning her between him and the edge of the truck.

“Tell me the truth and I will.” 

“I’d really rather not.” That earlier expression of vulnerability was back. Jon’s eyes grew softer and his lips flattened.

Sansa wanted to tell him yes, she was tempted. “I’ll give you the truth then. You left me thinking you no longer cared and made sure to reinforce that belief for an entire year. That isn’t someone I want to date or be in a relationship with. If you can’t even do this, we’re going to be in the same spot once more. We can be friends, if you want.” The last few words came out sharp. 

His jaw clenched. “Yeah, I already answered that.” Jon abruptly left her and dropping the tailgate at the back of the truck. 

He began moving her suitcases and several items to the back. Soon, Ned Dayne joined and the two of them finished the work. 

Sansa stood there dumbly. She looked up into the dull, grey sky, trying to find any glimpse of sun but there was nothing more than heavy clouds and rain drops. A sudden gust of wind stuck. She hugged herself as a chill took her.

“Time to go.” Warm arms wrapped themselves around her. “You cold?” 

“A little.” Sansa surprised herself then, leaning against him. It felt as if she was saying good bye.

“Stop it,” he admonished.

“I haven’t done anything.” 

“Yeah, you did.” He let go of her. “Next time we’re alone and can talk without an innocent family to watch.” He gently smiled before kissing her forehead.

Soon enough, they were in Jon’s truck and finally on their way home, to Winterfell, to Robb, and her mother. Sansa longed for it all but she dreaded it too.

“Can I ask what road this is? We haven’t been able to see maps since that damn comet came down on us.” Ned Dayne sat up front with Jon. His big legs demanded the space.

“We’re headed west. To our right, there are a fair amount of hunting cabins, you can see all the small tracks leading off this road. In another 30 minutes, the forest will give way to farm country,” Jon answered. 

Sansa sat directly behind him. His shoulders were stiff in a way they had not been when it was only the two of them alone. She wasn’t surprised, Jon had always been a private person, slow to make friends. She sat in the smaller backseat with Asha Dayne and the older child between them. The baby lay in his mother’s arms. There was a certain symbolism to the women and children in the back seat that made Sansa uncomfortable, reminding her of Jon’s surprise over a pregnancy. If he and Robb kept everything secret as she suspected, there was more they missed. 

They drove in silence, all of them in the vehicle together. It felt odd, after everything they had seen, the road was smooth and even before them. Other than being wet from the rain, there was no broken concrete, no mudslides, no flooding. No dead. She hoped luck had finally come to them

Finally, Sansa could take no more quiet and began a conversation with Asha, discovering they had a shared love for many of the same books and writers. Soon enough, the northern woods gave way, to be replaced by empty fields. Jon turned left and Sansa had to bite back a squeal of excitement.

“It’s the Cassels.” She recognized both of them. Rodrik and his nephew, Jory, owned a nearby dairy farm. They were both big men, tall and husky. 

“Something’s wrong. I don’t recognize the others.” There were two other men gathered, blocking the road in front of them, both strangers. 

“Maybe my brother asked for help?” She offered.

“No, I picked everyone myself,” Jon explained. “Look at them, they aren’t local.”

Sansa studied the two strangers, trying to see them as Jon did. It was their clothes, she realized. They weren’t dressed like the other men in Winterfell. 

Jon stopped the truck before turning it off and handing her the keys. “We’re going to have a look. If I ask you to stay here, will you actually do it?” 

Sansa ignored the hint of sarcasm in his voice, rolling her eyes at him. “Scout’s honor,” she answered.

He laughed before leaving them waiting, Ned Dayne following along. She was tempted to ignore him again but, the distress in Asha’s eyes changed her mind. She smiled reassuringly before turning her attention to the now gathered crowd in the road.

Jory was growing increasingly agitated while Rodrik kept quiet, his ruddy complexion turning a brighter shade of red with every passing second. Jon seemed to be doing most of the talking. One man began to yell while the other’s shoulders began to shake. Sansa’s stomach tensed as she understood. “He’s crying,” she whispered.

After a few minutes, the two strangers turned and walked away, back down the road. The one who cried looked into the truck. He had blue eyes like her. In front of them, Jon spoke to the Cassels some more before returning to the truck.

The engine came to life and they move forward once again. Sansa waved at the Cassels as they drove past. They did not glance her way. She turned to look in the rearview window, the two strangers were growing faint as the distance between them grew. They were on foot, no vehicle or food, not even a rain coat. 

“Jon? Who were those men?”

“Don’t know.”

“Where are they going to go?”

“Don’t care.” Jon’s tone meant he didn’t want her asking any more questions. 

No one spoke after that. Ten minutes later, they were in the town of Winterfell. The streets were empty but it was not Little Barrow. Sansa gave a silent prayer to the Mother, Jon had been right. There was no power and all the businesses were closed, but Winterfell was mostly as she remembered it. Jon stopped at the City Hall. The building also contained the sheriff station, jail, and library. 

Everyone climbed out of  the vehicle and as they did so, the rain picked up. Sheets of warm water fell, quickly filling the streets before emptying into the drains. They ran inside, to be greeted by the dim light of two lanterns and several people gathered around a meeting table.

There was only one man Sansa noticed. “Robb,” she shrieked.

He dropped a sheet of paper on the table before coming towards her. She didn’t wait, running into his arms as he picked her up.

“How are you?” He asked before setting her back down. Sansa took him in. Robb was tired, his clothes were rumpled and she suspected he had not shaved in several days. 

“Better now. Jon tied me up.”

He nodded stiffly as Jon approached. “She was being stubborn and we were in a bit of a hurry,” he defended. “We have guests. Sansa and I will get them settled and I’ll join in a few minutes.” 

She did not miss his use of her name, the Daynes were there because of her. Ten minutes later, she was following Jon back to the conference room and everyone gathered around the table. 

Sansa recognized a few of the men. Mr. Davos sat on the town council and Dr. Luwin, with his kind eyes and white hair. Jon’s friend Sam was there too but he did not seem to be aware of the activity around him. He had some books open and was making notes on a scratch pad.

Jon took an empty chair. “How bad is it?” 

Sam looked up, suddenly aware of their presence. “Oh, hello Jon. I didn’t notice you were back.” He continued on, not waiting for a response. “It’s bad. King’s Landing and Oldtown destroyed. Braavos, Lys, those are gone too. We heard reports of massive flooding in the Riverlands. So, everything destroyed, as we would expect.” He recited it matter of factly. Sansa noticed the strained expression of the others in the room as he spoke.

Jon nodded tersely. “That confirms no help from the outside then.”

“We’re on our own,” Robb said.

“Sam, how long will the rain last?” she asked quietly. 

Conversation in the room ceased. She sensed this had come up before.

“Weeks. It will fade gradually, we’ll have dry spots. But, weeks.”

Sansa did not ask further. She was no farmer but she knew what it meant. No more crops, what they had was it. Animals would die. Jon had told her the truth, it would be a struggle to survive the winter. 

Jon sat back in his seat, seemingly relaxed. “Do we have injury and people counts done?”

“I added Rickon and Bran along with a couple of their friends. Counts will be done today.”

“Good. We’re changing up security plans. I want three men instead of two on the roads. We need to add patrols soon too,” said Jon. “We ran into two men looking for help.”

“You turned them away, I hope.”

Jon glanced at her sympathetically. “Of course.”

Sansa did not know what made her speak then. “We should not have done it,” she said loudly. The room grew quiet. Some men had the sense to look ashamed. “If people are asking for help, we should help.” This was a waste, she was in a room of cowards.

Jon’s expression grew annoyed. “We already had this discussion. There isn’t enough to feed armies of strangers.”

“So who decides? Are you going to turn away families? How about children? Who is going to look at parents and tell them you have the ability to feed their child but refuse?”

Jon ‘s face flushed in anger.

Robb looked between the two of them, curious. “We figure out practicalities first then we talk about the rest of it.” He dismissed her and conversation drifted on to other topics

Sansa eyed Jon, he was avoiding her. He’d promised to listen, too. She stayed by the door, listening to the discussion around her. Sansa wanted her mother. 

A few minutes later, two of Jon’s deputies came in the room and proceeded to talk quietly with him and Robb. Jon said something to Sam before sitting up. “Come with me,” he said tersely.

Robb studied the two of them as she followed him out of the room. Jon led her to an empty office before shutting and locking the door. He handed her the keys to his truck. “Here.”

“What’s wrong?” 

“Do you remember Mrs Hornwood? Donnel Locke and a couple other men went to check on her. Shots were fired, he’s dead. We have no idea if she is safe or not.”

Sansa remembered her, she’d been a widow for five years or so. Her stomach sank. “You’re going, aren’t you?”

“Waiting for a few more people to arrive first.” He sighed, scratching at his beard. “I told you, responsibilities would be waiting for me when we got back.”

“Send someone else.” Sansa felt selfish as soon as she said it. “You won’t though, will you?”

“No. Sam is going to take the Daynes to my place, they can stay in the guest house until we figure something else for them. I’ve got plenty of food. Can you take my car to go home? I’ll come pick it up later tonight.”

She felt deflated. “You said you would listen to me.” 

He sighed, frustrated. “I said I’d listen, nothing about blindly following.” He pushed her further into the room. “Will you give me a chance before deciding I’m some uncaring asshole?”

Sansa blinked back tears. “Do you promise? Tonight?” She wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head against his chest. “Your shirt is still damp.”

“So is yours.” His voice was playful before turning serious as he continued. “Remember what I said earlier today? We’re gonna talk.”

“You talk, you get a date.”

He snorted. “Good. Then I’ll work on the next part of my plan.”

Sansa thought she already knew the answer but asked anyway. “What’s the next part?” 

“Getting in your pants.” He was grinning.

Jon kissed her, a quick, light kiss before opening the door. Sansa watched as he went to work before returning to the Daynes. She ended up following Sam to Jon’s house to drop off their personal items before going home. Jon was almost out of gas. She wondered if there was any more to be had. 

Sansa parked in the long driveway in front of their old ranch home. It was big, two stories with several bedrooms and a front porch wrapped around three sides of the house. It was her home and she’d missed it. She grabbed one of her suitcases from the back before walking in.

The grandfather clock greeted her in the entry way. Sansa laughed, before stroking the front. She called out for her mother, before heading to the kitchen.

Catelyn Stark met her in the big family room. “Sansa, is that you? Oh thank the gods, I’ve been so worried.”

“Jon came and got me. It took us a few days.” She let herself be held by her mom. “I’m sorry. There was no way to contact you.”

“You’re home now, that’s all that matters.”

“Where is everyone?”

“Bran and Rickon are working for your brother. Arya is over at Jon’s, helping out there.” She picked up  Sansa’s bag. “Let’s get you to your room and in dry clothes. We still have running water if you don’t mind a cold shower. I’ve got hot food waiting for you after.”

Sansa felt like crying all over again. She took a cold shower, taking care to scrub her skin and hair clean, before putting on her coziest pair of pajamas, and heading back towards the kitchen. 

Her mother had a hot bowl of stew waiting. “Do you remember that wood burning stove your father insisted on buying several years ago? We’ve been getting a lot of use out of it.”

They sat at the kitchen table as Sansa shared all that happened on her journey home, keeping quiet on some of it. She did not know what would happen between her and Jon, it was too soon for to tell anyone, even her mother. 

“Mom, have you heard from the Tyrells?” Sansa did not think it likely, but she hoped.

“No, honey, I’m sorry.” Her mom seemed tired, worn. She’d lost weight and Sansa noticed dark circles under her eyes.

“Are you sick? You seem tired?”

Catelyn quietly laughed. “No one has slept for the past three days. We are all tired.”  
  


Sansa finished eating before unpacking her remaining clothes and spending the rest of the day helping her mother. The hours passed and the grey sky turned black but no one returned to the house. Nervously, she found herself looking out the front windows for any sign, but it was always the same.

“Honey, I’m going to bed. Your brother has been sleeping in town the past couple nights, there is no point waiting up for him.” Her mom kissed her before grabbing one of the candles and leaving for the night.

Sansa stayed up, noting it was now after ten. She attempted to read but could not focus. Finally, twin lights shone into the house and Sansa heard a car engine turn off. She ran towards the door, opening it just before Jon and her brother walked in. 

She followed them into the kitchen before lighting a candle. “What happened?”

Jon glanced at her before looking away. “Mrs Hornwood is dead. There were three people in her house, we killed one of them.” 

She did not know how to respond to that. “You have blood on your cheek.” She grabbed a towel, soaking it in water. 

Jon wiped at his face. “It’s not mine.” He pushed her hand away when she attempted to wipe it off. “I’ve had worse.” 

“Sansa, why don’t you go to bed? Jon and I need to talk.” Robb pulled a flashlight from somewhere before walking into his office. 

She was being dismissed. 

Jon evidently sensed her frustration. “I’m listening to you, I promised I would, didn’t I?” She did not answer. “I don’t know what you want to tell Robb, so I’m going to follow your lead. Right now, all he sees is a little sister to take care of. We’ll change that.” 

“Will you come see me before you leave?” 

“How could I not?” He glanced in the direction Robb had gone before quickly kissing her. “Remember, I have plans for you.” Jon flashed her a devilish grin before leaving the room. 

Sansa returned to the family room but did not make another attempt to read. Instead, she pulled a blanket over her, determined to stay awake. Eventually though, her body felt the late hour and she drifted off, listening to the quiet ticking of the grandfather clock in the other room. She did not see Jon again that night. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The warning about graphic violence will be relevant for the next chapter. I don't want anyone to be upset reading so am giving notice now.
> 
> Also, Jon and Sansa will be together the entire chapter since that question was asked a lot. I also left off the Hammerfall snippet at the bottom of the chapter on purpose. I didn't want to give anything away. :) 
> 
> I'm horrible....


	10. Chapter 10

**_Six Days After Hammerfall_ **

Jon scratched his beard, frustrated. The bottom drawer of his office desk didn’t have so much as a forgotten cereal bar in it and he was hungry.

“You can stop looking for stale crackers. I have better.”

“Pretty in pink.” Sansa was dressed all in the same color, pink pants, and shirt with a matching raincoat. He noted the clip for her braid was the same. Pink was his new favorite color.

“Almost.” She grinned, sticking up her leg so he could see the black boots she wore. “I didn’t want to wear sandals.”

“How did you get here?”

“I rode my bike. It’s easy once you know how.” She closed his door before setting her backpack on his desk.  “My brother finally came home last night.”

He heard the gentle reproach. “You were sleeping. Like I said, following your lead so waking you for a goodbye hug seemed a bad idea.” This was the first time they’d seen each other in three days. After talking to Robb, Jon went home to sleep. He’d spent every night since on the sofa in his office.

Sansa unzipped her bag. “Clean clothes for you and food. Also, hot coffee. Better enjoy it, Robb said we would be on rations soon. Oh, one more thing.” She opened the back packet. “Ingredients for a sponge bath.” She was grinning flirtatiously.

She was right about the rationing. A full inventory of supplies and food was launching that very day. People would be allowed to keep some and the rest would be seized to share amongst the community as needed.

Jon glanced out his office window, realizing how early Sansa would have woken to be with him here now. “How did you know?”

“I made him tell me what you were doing this morning.” She set a plate of food in front of him. Biscuits and jam with a pile of bacon and some sliced peaches. “I thought to bring you eggs but they aren’t so good cold.”

“I’d have eaten them.” Jon shoved a bite in his mouth and then another and another. Sansa sat across from him with her head resting on her chin, smiling tenderly. His stomach clenched in realization. “You want to support me?” He was not sure what to make of it. His first night back, they had found three boys at the Hornwood place. One escaped and a second sat in a jail cell. At least for now.

“It’s good to talk about things, don’t you think?”

That was a double meaning. Jon wiped at his face, grimacing. “Thank you for this.” He sipped the hot coffee and sighed. It helped, some. “They dragged the poor woman’s body through the house and left it in the back yard like a piece of trash. One of them was gut shot in the fight.”

“Who did it?”

“Don't know.” That was another problem to solve. Jon could find men but they were farmers, not trained for what he needed. “He started screaming and I could tell it was bothering others. So I took a knife to him, that’s the blood you saw. So there you go, I’m unburdened.”

“Don’t make fun of me.” She was hurt.

“I’m not.” She didn’t seem to believe him. “I’m not,” he repeated. “There's more too. Robb and I argued over what's to be done with the boy in that cell. We can't feed a useless body and we can't set him loose on the outside to kill others.”

“I'll go with you,” she said determinedly.

That was a bad idea. “Sansa,” he sighed. “Have you seen a man die before?” Bodies on the street were something very different.

“I saw that man you killed and people drive off a broken bridge. My father too.”

Those weren’t the same. “What I did to that man, it was a….” Kindness, he thought before changing his mind. “It was gentle. This isn’t. We should have put a bullet in him then and be done with it. Instead, we took him here and went through a sick farce of a trial. Now, I have the fucking honor of killing a boy.”

The giant tree in the park across the street had good thick limbs. It would do the job.

“What’s his name?” Sansa didn’t seem upset, more deflated he thought.

“Whose?”

“You keep calling him boy. He has a name. What is it?”

It was easier that way. “Olly. He’s eighteen.” Jon picked up the clothes she brought for him. “I’d rather change and wash once this is done. Will you stay after?”

“That was my hope.” She flashed him a smile, so quick he almost missed it

Jon rose from his seat. “Wait here for me.” He kissed her lips before leaving the room. Sansa would be in the park, waiting for him, Jon would bet money on it if money still held value.

He walked to the back of the small sheriff’s station to the lone jail cell. Wintertown was not known for crime, this murder was the first in years. He worried it would not be the last. The boy, Olly, was already handcuffed and waiting for him. He looked dead-eyed, other than a brief flash of hate when he noticed Jon’s arrival.

“Let’s go then.” He motioned to Edd who led him out the building while he followed after.

“Shit,” he whispered to himself. Sansa was there, talking with Robb.

Jon had set everything up the previous night so this could be done early before there was a crowd of people to look on. Olly kept his blank stare up until he stood on the ladder. Jon guessed it was fear or denial or something else. Shock, it was shock, he realized.

He stood there, staring at the child, wondering if he should ask for any final words. Instead, Olly the eighteen-year-old boy began to shake as snot and tears rolled down his face. Jon’s shoulders slumped as the breath left his body. He kicked at the legs, motioning for Edd to pull the ladder.

The body immediately began to spasm. Jon left it, wanting Sansa’s presence. She was quiet, studying the wet blades of grass at her feet. He noticed she’d pulled the hood of her rain coat up even though it was only a light drizzle. She wanted the ability to hide her face away, even from him if needed.

“We should have ended it then and there,” said Robb. Jon noticed he’d changed his clothes but still didn’t appear to have slept at all if the circles under his eyes were any clue. “A bullet would have been less effort.”

“Less effort, yeah.” Sansa’s hand clasped his, her fingers grazing his palm. “This way, we let everyone see the body.” Silently, he agreed with Robb. Mrs. Hornwood was one of them though, town people needed to know the law still existed, however thin and superficial it was.

“I’ll have it cut down later today. We’ll have it burned like the other one.” Robb’s gaze slid down, noticing his hand laced with Sansa’s but did not say anything. “I’ll see you tonight?”

He nodded.

“Sansa, do you want me to take you home?” Robb looked at their hands again.

Jon let go of her, knowing Robb added another agenda item for them to talk about later.

“I rode my bike here, it can take me home again.” Sansa’s fascination with the blades of grass went on.

He turned his attention back to the tree. The body still twitched and jerked, the eyes were bloodshot. Jon tried to summon an emotion, watching it all. The best he could do was tired.

“Let’s go.” He led her back to his office where he quickly shut and locked the door. “I’m going to clean up.” Sansa brought soap and a small cloth for him. The water was still warm, she would have needed to boil it earlier that morning. Jon took off his boots and socks. “When did you get my clothes?”

“You don’t recognize them? I took your clothes from our trip and washed them for you. It took awhile for everything to dry.” Sansa sat on the edge of his sofa, her chin resting on one hand. Her raincoat was gone.

She would have washed it all by hand. “Thank you.” He wasn’t sure what else to say.

“Something is wrong with my mother. I’ve asked her but she says she’s just tired.”

“We’re all tired.” Jon especially.

“It’s something else. You haven’t seen me because I spent the past three days with her, canning and making preserves. She taught me how to make soap, can you believe it? Something’s wrong with her though. I heard about Mrs. Delores too. What’s the difference between gas gangrene and the regular kind of gangrene?”

Mrs. Delores used to work for the postal service. Her broken leg rotted as she lay injured in a ditch for three days after her car went off the road. She died a couple hours after being found. “I don’t know.”

“We killed a boy today and I was more worried about you than him.” Sansa stared at him with a blank expression.

“You didn’t kill him.” The group of men who captured him decided Ollie’s fate. Jon had only chosen the method.

Sansa’s expression sharpened as if she’d made a decision of some sort. “Wash before the water gets cold.”

Jon finished removing his clothes, “Someday you and I are going to take a hot shower together, I promise you that.”

“I’d prefer a hot bath.”

“We can do that as well.”

She came over to him. “Are you sleeping badly too?” She’d woken those nights they slept in his truck. Jon wondered if she was still having nightmares. Sansa began to stroke his stomach and abdomen.

“Careful,” he hissed. “

“How thick are these walls?” She looked up at him.

Jon took in her meaning. “As long as we aren’t too loud.” She’d taken her shoes off at some point. “Sansa, are you sure?” He stroked along her jawline with his index finger.

“You have no idea,” she breathed.

That was enough for him. Jon kissed her then, immediately deepening it when he heard her sigh. Sansa’s hands were at the waistline of her pants, removing the button and pulling down the zipper. Jon broke the kiss to lift off her shirt and undo the clasp of her bra.

“Jon, hurry,” she sighed. Sansa pulled her pants down past her hips.

He didn’t answer, kissing his way down her neck to her breasts before taking a nipple into his mouth. Her answering sigh only stirred him on. Jon would prefer they take their time but he’d do whatever she wanted. “Take off your pants.” His voice was ragged.

He helped her until they both stood naked. Jon kissed her once more before putting his hands on her hips. Sansa walked backward to his sofa. He looked at it over her shoulder, deciding there was enough room. She laid down across it and Jon quickly followed. He started to kiss his way lower, planning to do more, when Sansa locked her legs around his hips, stopping him.

“Now,” she ordered.

He pulled the hair back from her eyes. “Anything you want. I’d do anything you want, Sansa.” Jon slammed into her, pushing her up the sofa. His body shivered in pleasure before he caught the quiet mewl escaping her with another kiss. Sansa’s fingers raked down his back before her nails dug into his hips. He began to slowly pump into her. “I forgot how fucking good you feel for me. Tight and hot and all mine. Are you mine, Sansa?” He lightly bit her neck before soothing the same spot with an open mouth kiss.

“Yours,” she slurred, her voice quivering. Her head rolled back. She let out a loud moan and began to move in rhythm with him.

Jon placed a hand over her mouth. “Shhh, there are people outside this room. Can you be a good girl and stay quiet for me?” She nodded. Her eyes were half lidded and her skin pink. “That’s a good girl, that’s my Sansa.”

He buried his face in her shoulder and neck to quiet his own sounds before fucking her in earnest, a series of frenzied motions. Sansa’s cries only stirred him on. Jon came with a roar, slamming into her with abandon before stilling. His breathing was ragged. Sansa’s eyes were glazed and her features slack.

She tightened her legs around his hips. “Don’t move yet.”

“Not until you tell me too.” His cock was growing soft though. He could feel it slide out of her. “Do you regret it?”

Sansa met his eyes for the first time. “No, not even a little bit. I think we both needed it.”

Jon rested his head on her chest, she wouldn’t let him move much more than that. “We did kill a boy today. I wish we’d done it earlier.” He couldn’t seem to stop confessing now that he started. “We need more security and I don’t know how to do it. Robb wants screening procedures to let people in but neither of us knows what those should be. Sam says we could get telegraph lines going with the right parts and I don’t know where to get those. And no, I’m not sleeping either.”

She wiped her eyes. “You’re opening up to me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why?” She craned her neck to better look down at him. “It’s what I want.”

He felt uncomfortable. “You still plan to spend the day with me?”

“Not if you don’t want me too.”

“Oh, you have no fucking idea.” He smiled back at her. “I’m looking at security spots today. We need to rethink some of the ways strangers can get into this town. Come with me.”

“Clean up first. You stink.” She was grinning though.

Jon kissed her again. The water was cold but he decided that was a price worth paying. Soon, he was standing in the city hall parking lot listening to Sansa laughing at him.

“What’s wrong with the car?” He was blushing. It was a basic dark blue car. He’d liked the color.

“Nothing is wrong exactly. It’s just so….little. I didn’t think you knew little cars existed. You’ve driven trucks your whole life. The black one and the one before it was gray.” She was hugging herself.

“Trucks are useful vehicles. I bought this thing a couple months ago. It’s fuel efficient.” She only laughed harder. “What is it?”

“How do I explain?” She wiped her eyes before grabbing his hand. “Jon, you wear old jeans and t shirts year round with flannel in the winter. You and my brother go hunting together. You only wear boots. I’ve seen you mend fences and ride horses on the plains. You live in an old farm house. Now, you own a Mini Cooper.”

He bristled. “You make me sound like a stereotype.”

“Well, you kinda are.” She leaned into him to kiss his cheek then before whispering into his ear, “You’re my stereotype though.”

“That’s a fair trade. Come on, let’s go.” He opened her door before climbing into the driver’s side.

Sansa kept quiet, looking out the window as they drove out of Winterfell, west towards the wolfswood. “Doesn’t gas break down in a month or so?”

“No, not that fast. Five or six maybe. Before you ask, we set away stores of it. The stuff won’t last forever but enough for now. Keep quiet about it, this is one of those many secrets Robb and I aren’t sharing.”

She turned towards him. “You have more stored away, don’t you?”

“Yeah, hidden at my place. Less prying eyes there.” Other than the Daynes but Jon meant to see them gone very soon. He needed Ned closer to the town for the work he had planned for the man. “I’ll show you, or better yet, get Sam to do it.”

“Why?”

“It’s what he told us to do and if Sam said to buy something, we did.” She smiled sweetly at him. Jon had given her the right answer. The day passed as they moved from one outpost to the other. All of it confirmed what Jon suspected. He needed more men and more places to guard. “You were right, you know.” Sansa’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “We need to let people in. Only, we don’t know how many or who. We need laborers and guards. We need people with medical experience.”

“Is this some of what the meeting tomorrow is about? You should know, I fully intend to be there so don’t try to convince me differently,” she said. Sansa looked relaxed to him, more than she’d been at any point since walking into his office that day. It encouraged him.

Jon stopped the car before pulling it to the side. They were next to a field by Forrester lands. He glanced about to make sure, the road was clear in either direction. They were alone. “I want to tell you something.” He swallowed nervously. “But, promise me you won’t give up on us or leave me or call it quits or whatever it is you might do.”

“Well, that’s a lot of things I might do.” She grabbed his right hand, turning it so her palm rested against his. “I can promise not to give up but I can’t promise to not be hurt or angry. Is that enough?” Sansa turned away from him, her eyes fixating on her lap.

“I didn’t want to tell you.”

“I know.”

“I’m not going to come out looking good in this.”

“I know that too.”

His stomach tightened. “I fell in love with you from our first kiss, did you know that? Our first weekend together at my place, I knew you were it for me. You still are, Sansa. So, the weekend I was supposed to visit you in White Harbor, Robb and I…”

Sansa cut him off. “Robb,” she huffed. “I should have known.”

“No, don’t be angry with him. He has no idea. He was talking about you, the plans you had and the life you wanted to lead. He talked about not wanting you to end up some farmer’s wife. Well, remember what you called me, a walking stereotype? So, I panicked ‘cause being with me meant you’d be giving all that up.” Jon snuck a glance at her but could not read her expression “The thing is, he’s right and I didn’t know how to talk to you about it. So, I didn’t. Then, as the days passed it got worse until I knew you were angry with me and probably hated my guts. And that’s all of it.” His chest was heavy.

“Nothing else? No secret affairs? No other hidden lies?” Jon still could not tell what she was thinking.

“No. Soon after, your brother forced me into this fucking job and I put all my energy into it. He doesn’t know but I was working my way up to quitting on him when Sam told me about the comet. After that…”

“You were stuck.”

“I was stuck. Robb thought to convince you to come home before the damn thing landed so I thought you’d be here. He came to my house and told me you were still in White Harbor.  I packed and drove through the night to come get you. And now, here we are.”

“And here we are and now I know,” she said flatly. Jon did not like that. “You broke my heart.”

“I’m sorry.” As soon as he spoke, Jon regretted it. An apology was woefully inadequate. Her narrowed eyes told him she felt the same. “I want to give you a list of excuses but you deserve more than that. So, I’ll say I’m trying to do better.” He waited, half expecting her to slap him.

She didn’t. Instead, Sansa stared at him, her blue eyes roaming over his face as if she was trying to divine some great truth. “Okay.”

He waited for her to elaborate but she remained silent. “I don’t know what that means.”

“It means I believe you and neither of us are giving up. It also means I don’t have much trust yet but I want too. Past that…” She shrugged her shoulders before turning away from him to look out her side window. “The rain isn’t so heavy now. That field looks pleasant to walk in.” She quickly opened the door, leaving him behind.

Jon stared after her as the distance between them grew. He didn’t think an empty field of mostly dead grass was all that pleasant. Sansa could probably point out all the hidden beauty if he asked it of her though. After a minute, he noticed she was not wearing her raincoat and the sky was darkening. The incessant rain would be growing worse. He grabbed it, following after her.

He did not like the scene before him when he caught up to her. There was no way it could end well.

“You! This is your fault. He killed him, he killed my little brother.” It was the older of the two men Jon encountered when they first returned to Winterfell. A dirt covered blanket lay on the ground, this was a man who’d given up. He planned to lay down in a field to wait for death to claim him. That was worrisome enough but the revolver in his hand was the larger concern. Jon suspected the stranger had no idea how to use it if the way he carried it was any sort of indicator.

Jon held his arms out at his sides. “Can you tell me who did it?” He asked, keeping his voice flat.

Sansa did nothing, looking between him and the other man. Jon could not tell if she was frightened or waiting for him to do something.

“You. All we wanted was some food and a place to get dry. You did this,” he said hysterically. The gun was pointing directly at Jon now.

“I’m sorry. You must have loved your brother very much.” Sansa spoke reassuringly, the way one would calm a frightened child. Or animal.

It was enough though. The man lowered his arm to look at Sansa. “His name was Thomas.”

Jon lunged at him, knocking them both to ground. He heard the the wet crunch of a skull hitting against a rock.  Behind him, Sansa let out a shriek. Jon ignored it, pulling out the knife he kept in his back pocket and quickly stabbed the stranger in the throat. Accusing blue eyes stared up at him. He felt oddly grateful they were a darker shade than Sansa’s. A thin trickle of blood fell down his chin and neck.

“He’s still alive, Jon.” Sansa knelt next to him, taking the stranger's hand in one of her own before petting him.

He pulled the knife out. “Not for much longer.” Jon plunged it into the man’s heart and twisted. His breathing stopped. “You can let go of him, Sansa.” He drew it out before wiping the blood with the sodden shirt, avoiding the growing red stain.

She did not respond, grabbing the dirt-stained blanket to cover the dead body in a way that reminded Jon of a parent putting their child to bed. “I’m not going to ask we bury him but I don’t want to leave him alone like this either.”

“What are you doing?”

“Looking through his wallet. There we go.” She placed something in the body’s hand. “It’s a picture of his family.”

“I shouldn’t have killed him. It wasn’t the original plan.” Jon felt a displaced anger growing in him, whether it was directed inward or towards the dead body next to him, he did not know. “An idiot waving a gun around he didn’t know how to use.” He picked it up to check, the damned thing wasn’t even loaded.

Sansa came over to sit by him, locking her arm through his. “He was grief stricken and alone in the world. It was only random chance that made us find him.”

“Someone would have eventually, look at him. The man basically laid down on the ground to die.” Jon wondered where he got the gun and blanket from, he and his brother were both empty-handed three days ago.

“Who do you think killed his brother?”

“That’s why I shouldn’t have killed him. Don’t know when or who or where.” Someone got away from Mrs. Hornwood’s house though. Jon wondered if it was related.

The day had been a sweet interlude, giving him a reason to hope for a little while. He had not expected for them to fuck in his office or to confess how much of a stupid shit he’d been. A lovely interlude, bookended by two murders.

“Jon, come back to my house and eat dinner with us. You’re supposed to meet with Robb later anyway.” Her hair was still in a braid but strands had escaped so wild tendrils framed her, making him think of a halo. Her shirt was damp, he could see her nipples through it. Both of their pants were covered in mud.

“Your bike is still back at my office.” He would need to send someone to fetch the body too.

“We can get it tomorrow. Come on.” She stood, offering her hand.

He stood up next to her, glancing at the body at his feet one last time before looking away. “Sansa, I---”

“Don’t say anything. We aren’t giving up, remember?” She took his hand to lead him towards the car.

Later that night, both of them once again in dry clothes, Jon sat next to Sansa at the Stark dining table. Her mother had prepared a thick stew for everyone, with large chunks of vegetables and beef, and fresh made biscuits and butter. It was the best meal he’d had in days. Bran and Rickon talked together, sharing that day’s adventures with everyone. Both of them, along with several of their friends, were being used to carry messages and keep communications open.  It was a pleasant distraction listening to the two of them.

Every so often, Sansa’s hand would graze his knee or briefly rest on his leg. But, it was all hidden away for no one to see, except for maybe Robb. His friend was suspicious. Jon felt for him. Robb was the one tasked with convincing every farmer and rancher in the area to work together, otherwise, they’d end up surrounded with small fiefdoms, doomed to eventual failure. Jon did not envy him.

Soon, he was seated in Robb’s office as he’d been so many times before. He slunk back in his chair before putting his legs up on the table.

“Karstark is going to be a tough one.”

“Of course he is.” Karstark was one of the county’s biggest idiots, a hot head with an undeserved sense of self-importance. Jon took in his friend. Robb looked even more tired than he had that morning. None of them were sleeping. “Let’s do this in the morning. I can’t think and you look half dead.”

“What?”

“I can be back here first thing in the morning. Let’s talk then.”

“Do either of you want some coffee?” Sansa stood in the doorway. He recognized her expression, she thought he was shoving her to the side again.

“No, thank you. Robb and I were making plans for the morning. Don’t suppose you can join us? I think we need your help.” Her eyes lit up. He’d done at least one thing right that day.

Robb got up to light another candle in the room, looking between the two of them but did not say anything until they were alone. “You want a drink?” He pulled out the decanter of Scotch his father had used before pouring each of them a drink.

Jon gratefully accepted his before taking a large swallow. It burned. “So, go on and say it,” he challenged.

“Say what? She’s a grown woman. Can I ask how long it’s been going on?” He finished his glass before pouring some more.

Jon stared at his old friend, trying to decide how honest to be. Robb was more a brother to him than anything else. “It started a year ago but I screwed up and we ended it.”

“Did you cheat?”

“What? No, I didn’t fucking cheat.” That annoyed him. “I made a stupid mistake and now I’m trying to fix it. I want to marry her, Robb.”

“Well, good. Let me know when and I’ll take you ring shopping.”

“Where? At the mall?”

Robb broke into a grin. “Or online.”

“One more thing. Sansa has some good ideas, we should both be listening to her.” He put his glass down on the table. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Bye, Jon.”

He left his friend alone and quietly slipped out the front door before turning on his small pocket flashlight. Jon checked to make sure no one was watching him through any of the windows before walking towards the side of the house where he knew Sansa’s bedroom to be. He climbed the tree underneath her window and tapped.

She quickly slid the pane open, grinning at him. He’d made the right decision then. “I thought you might like a human body pillow.”

She giggled, pulling him into the room. “Come on. Quiet though, I don’t want to explain how a strange boy appeared in my room past curfew.”

“Let’s keep it to a whisper then,” he said quietly. “I’m not expecting anything, just sleep.” Jon wanted more, but he wanted their next time to be different.

Only one candle lit the room, illuminating her in a dim glow. Sansa pulled the tie of her robe, tossing it onto a nearby chair. She stood before him, clad in a pair of underwear and a thin cotton halter top.

Jon whimpered. “Well, that’s not fair.”

Sansa pulled up his shirt. “Hurry up.” He did as told until he wore only his boxer briefs. “I’m glad you came.”

“Couldn’t stay away.”  Jon pulled her closer to the bed before blowing out the candle. “Let’s go to bed, we both need it.” He climbed in, letting Sansa rest on him before cocooning them both in her blanket.

“Come back tomorrow so we can do this again.”

“As often as you’ll let me. Good night, Sansa.” He bent down to kiss her forehead.

She was asleep in seconds. Jon followed a few minutes after.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Effleuresense on Tumblr made this movie posters for this fic. They give me chills. Come see!  
> <http://kittykatknits.tumblr.com/post/165126949277/effleuresense-16-hours-until-hammerfall-the>


	11. Chapter 11

_**One week after Hammerfall...** _

Sansa had not slept so well since before Jon knocked on her apartment door. It was bliss. She was home, all of her family was nearby, and she had Jon in her bed. If she dreamed, Sansa did not remember it, but she liked to think they were sweet dreams, of them together as if their relationship never ended. Or, a happier future for all her family.

“I should go before you get caught with a boy in your room.” His voice was still rough from sleep.

She pulled herself up and straddled his hips. Jon’s hands slid up her thighs to her waist. “‘It was the nightingale, and not the lark, that pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear.’”

She’d confused him, he looked at her as if she’d suddenly grown a second head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Shakespeare.”

“Oh. I was home from school with the flu that day.”

“I bet you were.” She traced his lips with the tip of one finger. “It’s Romeo and Juliet. Have you seen it?”

He pretended to consider, Sansa already knew he hadn’t. “I saw When Harry Met Sally. It’s got two names so that’s pretty close.”

She pressed her lips together but a laugh still escaped. “Half credit.”

He lifted his hips, flipping them so she lay underneath. “You’re distracting.” Sansa wrapped her arms around his neck, closing her eyes for a kiss. Instead, Jon only gave her a quick peck before pulling out of her grasp and getting up from the bed. “I need to get dressed.”

“Bottom drawer of my dresser. That way you can pretend you went home.”

He snorted, pulling on an old  pair of jeans and a black t shirt washed so many times it had a tinge of purple to it. She followed, grabbing a dress from her closet.

“I’ve never seen you in that before.”

“That’s because I don’t like it very much,” she explained. It was plain, with a higher neck and longer skirt that she usually wore. “I’ll fit in better.”

Jon frowned. “Like a farmer’s wife.”

Sansa recalled her teasing from the previous day. At the time, she found the idea of her Cowboy Jon in a little blue car adorable, now she wondered what he’d been thinking. His subsequent confession had left her feeling empty. She’d expected some great secret, instead, he told her something stupid. She thought it spoke to his insecurity more than anything to do with them. “I need to ask you a question.” He gripped her bedpost, spreading his legs ever so slightly. “If the comet never came. If it hadn’t happened, would you have ever said anything to me? Would I have ever known?”

Jon practically collapsed onto the edge of her bed. “Truthfully, I would’ve kept right on trying to avoid you as I had been.”

It’s what she thought. Jon’s pursuit was because she was available again, at least from his perspective. “Well, that’s honest.” She walked away from him to open her bedroom window. A chill rushed into the room. It was drizzling outside and the sky was overcast. Sansa didn’t know why she even bothered to look. It would be the same tomorrow and the next day too.

“There’s more.” Jon grabbed her waist, lifting her until she sat on her old desk. Sansa began to swing her legs until he caught an ankle, stilling her movements. “I told Robb about us last night and said I screwed up. Probably should have asked you first, sorry.”

“What did he say?”

“He said you were a grown woman.” She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, he wants you to be happy, that’s all.”

“That's what we were getting ready to do,” she whispered. On the verge of it, really.

“It's why I told you.”

She knew what he meant. Jon was trying to show her he was committed. Sansa suspected apart from her, Jon loved Robb and Arya most of all. She started to giggle, thinking of the conversation between the two of them the night before, he practically asked her oldest male relative for permission to court her.

“What's so funny?” She explained. “Well, shit, I didn’t mean it like that.” Jon looked genuinely worried.

“I'm not upset. It made me laugh, that's all.” She wasn't. Sansa felt pleased, hopeful even. Jon confronted the very thing he couldn’t a year ago. It made her want to believe him, more than anything he’d said the day before. “Tell me about today, I want to spend it with you again.”  She knew he was supposed to talk with Robb shortly and then there was supposed to be a larger meeting of some sort.

“You want an agenda? Robb and I are catching up, nothing else. Karstark is going to be difficult but that’s no surprise. He’s an idiot. I want to know if there are others before we meet with the town council later today.”

“What’s the meeting for?”

“You don’t know?” She shook her head. Sansa had been telling the truth the previous day, she’d spent all of her time with her mother with only a few glimpses of Robb and the rest of her family. She had little knowledge of what other people were up to. “Everything is communal. Every bit of food, seed, livestock, medicine, gas, you name it. Everyone shares completely or they get nothing.”

“What if someone is injured or they run out of food?” She knew the answer, Sansa didn’t know why she asked.

“Once we start making exceptions it falls apart.”

“Because others will do it too, I get it.” That didn’t mean she liked the idea. “What else?”

“For today? Nothing. Remember I told you Robb and I were arguing? We can’t house people in a prison but repeated executions isn’t a solution either. Maybe that, though I hope not, I’m not ready for the discussion yet. I’ll update him on our adventures too but that’s it.”

“What aren’t you ready?”

Yesterday morning, as they stood together under the tree, she’d worried for him. Too much responsibility and guilt, and it was all his to take on alone. His expression now was the same as it was then. “What do we do? Kill everyone for breaking a rule? It’s not a solution. That leaves us with two other choices.”

“What choices?”

“Banishment or labor. Everyone works, some harder than others.”

Sansa considered asking him about the man whose body still lay in that field but decided not too. On their long trip back to Winterfell, Jon had been steadily focused on what he could control, ignoring everything else. He wouldn’t want to talk about it. “Will you come back here tonight?”

“If you’ll have me.” Another peck and he stepped away. “Do me a favor and run downstairs to loudly announce my entrance, will you?” Jon pulled on his jacket before climbing out the window.

She shut the pane and raced to the front door, opening it seconds after he knocked. “Jon, good morning” she said, overly loud. Her greeting sounded forced.

Breakfast that morning was another loud, boisterous affair. Jon sat across from her, next to Arya, so the two of them spent most of the meal talking to each other. Sansa guessed much of it had to do with his ranch operations, small though it was. Arya was taking care of most of it. Sansa wanted to touch him, the way she had the night before.

“Sansa, will you help me pour more coffee?”

She stared after Jon and Robb as they wandered into her brother’s office. Jon glanced back, silently telling her to come along. “Sure, mom.”

Her mother’s hair was pulled into a thick braid and rested over one shoulder. Sansa smiled to see it, she’d taken the same style for her own since she was a teenager. “Your brother must have bought us a year’s supply of coffee. We have bags of it in the cellar. He’lll miss it when it’s gone, probably more than his Scotch.”

Sansa’s face twisted at the mention of alcohol, she preferred her drinks on the sweeter side, with grenadine and a cherry or five. “I’ll get the mugs.”

“Jon Snow is in love with you.” Her mother made the statement so casually, Sansa almost thought she misheard.

“What makes you say that?”

Catelyn Stark approached, cupping her cheek before stroking her hair. “He looks at you like your father used to look at me.” Her mother’s lips drew into a playful half smile. “Also, tell Jon to use the stairs next time rather than climbing the tree by your window.”

Sansa’ cheeks reddened from embarrassment. Her eyes bulged. “How did you know?”

“If he’s going to hide his car, he needs to do a better job. I could see it from my bedroom window.”

Sansa couldn’t meet her mother’s eyes. It was one thing for Robb to admit she was a grown woman. It was quite another to talk about her sex life with her own mother. “I’m sorry. We…” She wasn’t sure what to say, calling Jon her boyfriend didn’t feel right. “We’re in love, mom. We’re still working out what that means for us but we are.” She could feel her heart beating in her chest. It was the first time she’d admitted it out loud. Jon seemed to make a point of telling her but Sansa hadn’t done the same.

“Take what joy in this life you can, Sansa. There will be precious little of it in the months to come.”

She poured two cups of coffee, not bothering with the third, before taking them into Robb’s office. Sansa had never cared for coffee.

“The kings road, north and south, through the county is easy. So is the main highway coming in east of here. We can expect most people that way. It's the wolfswood that worries me. It's too easy for someone to hide in, hunt in, or sneak into Wintertown unnoticed.”

Hunting was no longer permitted. Game was to be spared until it was needed. She guessed over half the livestock in the county would be butchered soon due to lack of feed. That would be eaten first.

“You need more men,” said Robb.

“I'm moving Dayne back into town in a couple days to take over training. That man is one of the best pieces of luck we've had so far.” Sansa flashed a self-satisfied smile but said nothing. “We need at least a dozen, probably more.”

“A dozen?” Robb raked his fingers through his hair, turning his curls into a wild mess. “That’s taking men, experienced farmers, away from what they do, what we need them doing.”

Jon seemed perfectly relaxed in his chair, his body slouching and legs spread wide. Sansa thought some of it was for show. He was anxious. “We have a dead man in a field right now who probably came out of the wolfs wood. It was random chance that we happened upon him. If it had been a small group, they could have approached the Forrester house, killed the entire family, and we wouldn’t know a damn thing. Everywhere else, the roads and geography work to our favor. That forest is a blind spot, Robb.”

“So we add a dozen men to however many more Sam tells us we need and then figure out how to feed them all.”

“We’ve got some food stored away.”

“Not enough, not nearly enough."

“Not a problem we can solve today. Tell me about yesterday’s results.”

So far, Sansa had not spoken since giving the two men their coffee. She’d wanted to listen for a while, learn each of their opinions and worries. It struck her, they both wanted to protect the people in the area, only Jon had a martial perspective while her brother was more concerned with civil affairs. They both reminded Sansa of her father. It made her ache to think of it, especially seeing them talking together in the office Ned Stark once spent so many hours in.

“Most everyone seems to think they need to hunker down and bear it, as if it's only a single year of failed crops. No one wants to face the idea we may be looking at a famine soon. I keep being asked if there is news from the government,” said Robb.

His solution was obvious, at least she thought so. “Then be the government.” They both stared at her, Robb did as if he’d forgotten she was in the room. “Stop trying to convince people, show thme you are taking care of their biggest fear. Everyone in the entire county will do what you want after that.”

“What’s their biggest fear?” Jon asked.

“Their children,” she answered. “School starts soon, make sure that happens -”

“The schools are in Wintertown itself, it’s not possible to transport that many children every day. Not with what we have,” said Robb, interrupting.

“Then bring the teachers to the children, they aren’t all in one place. Smaller classes with children of different ages. Set the school principals to figure it out. Also, Jon said everything would be communal. Make sure that includes children’s clothes.”

“Clothing?”

“Kids grow and parents only buy so much at a time. They don’t buy winter jackets in July. This may not seem like much to you, but trust me, the mothers are silently worrying over it.”

Jon was pleased, she could tell. “What else?”

“I already told you Mrs.Glover is pregnant and already has two children. The Karstarks have three, the Umbers have, four I think. Mrs. Mormont has four daughters. Make it about saving their children, the entire county will do what you want then. There will be other babies coming before winter is done, I can tell you that much .” It was enough for now, Sansa would speak to people individually later that day. The conversation drifted to seed counts and other matters but she had little to add.

“Sansa, I’ve been wanting to ask, do you know anything about your friend Margaery? I haven’t heard you mention her?”

Somehow, she managed to suppress a smile at Robb’s question. She looked directly at him, avoiding Jon. “Actually, I’ve been waiting for the chance to tell you. Highgarden is only two or three days from here by horse. I want to go make sure she’s alright.” She’d once told Jon she was good at getting what she wanted, Sansa had meant it.

“I don’t think so,” Robb dismissed.

She ignored him. “Jon can come with, to make sure I’m safe.” He’d want the chance to be alone with her and she knew Jon would refuse to let anyone else go. “I intend to ask her to come back with me. You need someone to help with administration, Robb. She’s very good at it, trust me.”

He tapped his fingers against the desk. “Jon?”

He narrowed his eyes at her, suspicious. “I’ll go. We wait until Dayne has taken over training though, that needs to be done before I even think of going.”

They didn’t even argue, it was easier than she thought. Or, at least not until she stood with Jon on the veranda in front of her house. “You did that on purpose.”

“What did I do?” She asked, all wide-eyed innocence.

He snickered. “You brought up your trip idea in front of Robb on purpose, knowing I’d refuse otherwise.”

She merely shrugged her shoulders. “I told you he had a crush.”

Jon smiled fondly at her. “You gave him good advice earlier.”

“Of course I did. There are larger problems to solve of course. But, those are quick wins, it will make people feel better and buy you more time to figure everything else out.”

“Go on a date with me tomorrow,” he said quickly, changing the subject.

His sudden request surprised her. Jon had asked once before, she’d refused him then. “Where would we go?”

“My house. There’s something I want to do for you.”

Her mother’s words came back to her. “Alright.”

“I want you to spend the night with me too.”

Sansa knew what he was asking. They’d made love in his office the day before but that was something  else, a moment of comfort and a respite from all that worried them. This was different, Jon was asking her to resume their relationship. Neither of them seemed to want to be apart from the other and he was right, they weren’t friends. She was lying to herself. Sansa wanted to do as he asked. “Maybe.”

His lips drew flat. “Maybe, huh? I guess that’s better than an outright no.”

“My mother figured out about us,” she told him, wanting to offer something. “She could tell by the way we looked at each other.” That was mostly the truth.

His expression lightened some, it worked. “Did she now?” He grabbed her waist, stepping so she moved backwards against the railing. “I’m going to kiss you and I hope the rest of your family sees.”

Sansa felt like she was melting. Her body was pinned between the railing and Jon and she’d swear it was all that kept her upright. His hand was at the back of her neck, pulling her close as he took the kiss deeper. She sighed as he began to kiss her neck and that spot by her ear before moving back to her lips.

“Your lips are swollen,” he rasped.

“Not my fault,” she mumbled.

“I disagree.”

She had no answer to that. Sansa wasn’t sure if her indecision was sensible or stupid. Or both.

He drove them back into town, parking in the very same place as the day before. Sansa resisted teasing him over the car this time though.

“I need to meet with Edd and a few others. Do you want to wait in my office or come with or…?”

She glanced along the street. It housed more than the city buildings and a town park. There were also some stores and a couple of restaurants. Or, at least there had been. Sansa didn’t think there would be a restaurant in Wintertown again for a very long time.

“Actually, if you don’t mind. I’d like to walk around some.”

Jon pressed his lips to hers. “I’ll see you in an hour.”

As he walked away, Sansa realized she had no idea what time it was. Her phone battery was dead and she didn’t carry a watch. She decided it was noon based upon the sun but that was probably wrong. She pulled the hood of her rain coat up before walking across the street to the park. All evidence of the previous morning’s events were gone. Sansa remembered Jon’s earlier statement on what forms of punishment they could use. She guessed he was the one pushing for harsher terms while her brother wanted leniency. That was a problem for her to solve another day too.

Sansa wandered through the park, it was empty. No one else seemed to want to linger or take a midday stroll in the rain. There were no children in the playground either. The bulletin board along the park’s edge caught her attention so Sansa walked towards it, eager to see what others in town were posting. It was not what she expected. There were some old flyers for a church bazaar and school play. However, most of the space was taken up by small slips of paper, all dated within the past week or so. Requests for chainsaw oil, a car part, an outdoor hose, and other household items. It was the last one she read that worried her. Sansa didn’t recognize the name but it was dated two days ago, a plea for some sort of medicine.

Nowhere else to go, she returned to Jon’s office only to find it empty.

“There you are.”

Sansa glanced up from her place at Jon’s desk. He stood in the doorway. “Here I am.”

“I think you can help with something.”

Her eyes lit up. “What?”

“Town meeting in the library. There’s a lot more people than I thought there would be.” Jon smiled sheepishly. “You were right earlier. I’m not sure what I’m asking for but can you help?”

Sansa recognized a good many of the people, she was surprised at the number who brought their entire families. The kid’s library was filled with little ones running wild and their older siblings, trying, and failing, to corral them.

She moved about the room, telling Galbart Glover they were looking for a maternity nurse and hinting at an upcoming search for medicine to Maege Mormont whose youngest daughter had asthma. She was pretty certain most everyone she spoke to would acquiesce to Robb’s demands except for Rickard Karstark. Nothing she said made a difference, the man claimed not to need food, gasoline, propane, fertilizer, seed, or anything else she could think of. Sansa wasn’t sure if he was a fool or a liar.

The library meeting room smelled like an odd mix of old books, kerosene lamps, and wet bodies. The room was full, every folding chair that could be found was in use. Everyone, men and women, young and old, were dressed in farm clothes with damp hair and tired eyes. Sansa saw fear too in many of them.

She noticed the Karstark and Thenn family in a corner, a group unto themselves. Rickard Karstark sat closest to the front, lest there be any doubt who spoke for that family.

Robb and Jon sat at a head table, flanked by the rest of the town council. She knew Jon’s opinion on most of them. It went smoothly, largely what she expected. Most people in the room wanted to be reassured, to know someone was in charge.

It continued until the very end when Harrion Karstark shot to his feet and began to talk over Robb, “This whole plan of yours sounds an awful lot like theft to me.”

“It’s not theft. It’s pooling our resources so we can all survive,” answered Robb, his voice even.

“Theft disguised as communism.” With that, the entire clan left the room en masse, leaving a low rumble of voices in their wake.

The rest of the meeting went on without further incident but Sansa suspected the stunt undid some of her earlier work. That family would be a problem again, she’d swear to it.

“I think you won your brother over.”

They were laying in her bed together, as they had the night before. She giggled. “After he got over his anger about my promise of medicine.”

Jon kissed her forehead. “I can’t entirely blame him. You do realize I’m the one expected to organize supply raids, right?”

She didn’t. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s something we need to do anyways. All we have is the small supply Dr. Luwin keeps on him. I’m moving Ned Dayne tomorrow.” He made that last bit sound as if it was an afterthought.

It was quiet other than the sound of rain tapping at her window. Sansa began to feel herself lulled to sleep by the rhythmic stroking of his fingertip along her spine. Her mother’s words came back to her, as they had so many other times during the day. “Jon, I want to spend the night with you tomorrow.”

_The comet has long since disappeared into the blackness of space._

_On Earth, those who survived its impact struggle to live in the world it created._

_Some communities band together, determined to help fellow neighbors survive. Others fall apart as friends and family turn on each other._

_People steal, barter, beg, and scavenge for their food, hoping to make it until their next meal._

_East of Winterfell, on the other side of the White Knife, a preacher calling himself The High Sparrow witnesses the breaking of a great dam and decides it is a message from the gods, calling on him to cleanse the world of sin. Everywhere he preaches, the people listen._

_Further south, not so far from Barrowton, a Night’s Watch corporal grows increasingly angry over orders to feed and assist the civilian population. He organizes a mutiny which leads to the massacre of those he was once ordered to protect. Amongst the dead is a family of four who once spent a few minutes talking to a young couple trying to get home._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda feel like not much happened in this chapter but there is smut coming next and some violence on their road trip as we see what happened to the outside world. There is lots of set up, so that's good right? :) 
> 
> Also, we will start to see larger jumps forward in time soon...not yet though.


	12. Chapter 12

Jon pulled on his boots before grabbing the jacket off the floor where he’d thrown it the previous night. “Are you going to wear my shirts to bed from now on?” He ran his fingers through his hair, deciding that would do for brushing.

“First, yes, I am. And second, comb on my dresser.” Sansa still lay in bed with the blankets all about her. “Are you going to be in town all day again?”

“You’re not coming in?” The prospect left him deflated. Jon sat on her bed when she shook her head no. “Why not?”

“I want to stay here with my mother, I’m sorry.” She frowned, obviously contrite. “It’s a last minute idea or I would have said something earlier.”

She used the one argument he wouldn’t fight against. Jon hoped it wasn’t deliberate. “It’s fine,” he said flatly. “What about tonight?” He hadn’t missed the hesitancy in her voice when she’d agreed the night before. Whatever made Sansa change her mind, it wasn’t him.

“Tell me when to be at your house and I’ll be there, complete with my sleeping bag and teddy bear,” she teased. Sansa moved so they sat right up next to each other. Jon pulled her into his arms. “I’m not cancelling, cross my heart.”

He chuckled. “You can leave the bag here. Sam and Gilly are moving into my guest house.” His grandfather had built it, the damn thing was almost as big as his own home.

“Sparing them the scandal or wanting the place to yourself?”

Neither, Jon intended for her to be living with him soon. “Sam always was a bit old-fashioned. Should I go out your door or climb down the tree?” He kissed her.

“Down the tree. Rickon always was a bit old-fashioned.”

“What?” Rickon was eighteen. Jon would bet he spent half his time looking at porn on the internet, back when it still existed.

“I’m kidding. Use the door, I’m pretty sure our secret is out anyways.” Jon liked to hear her say that. “Besides, there’s no point in you getting wet until you have too.” He enjoyed that quite a bit less.

“I’ll go after we eat.” Catelyn Stark would have hot food waiting for them downstairs and he was hungry. Food would be given to him at the station but it wasn’t the same.

“Jon?”

He picked at a small hole along the collar of the shirt she was wearing. “This has a hole in it.”

“Half of your shirts have a hole in them and that’s sort of what I wanted to talk about.”

“You want to have a talk about my worn out clothes and stunningly tasteless sense of fashion?”

She hummed before licking her lips. “I like your style, so no. Last night, you said that you would be organizing supply raids, whatever that means. We need to get clothes too.”

“Clothes?”

“Yes, if you can do it easily. People are thinking about food, not clothing needs for a year from now. Look at your shirts and think about what everyone had on yesterday. We need clothes, especially warm ones.”

He scratched at his beard, not sure what to tell her. She wasn’t wrong but that meant driving a fair distance and using gasoline to do it. “All right. What else?”

“We need to make wagons or carts or buggies or something. We also need to build some sort of corral or stable in the town park.”

“Shit.” Wheels meant a blacksmith and Jon didn’t know anyone with that particular set of skills. Gasoline would be gone soon unless they went on regular raids for the stuff and that wasn’t possible. Jon and Robb had some stockpiled, enough to last a few months if they were careful, not enough for an entire county. “I’ll tell Robb.” Sansa was right though. Even with engines out, actual cars would still be too heavy, trucks even more so. They would need to organize some sort of larger-scale transportation.

“You’ll be there tonight. You won’t forget.” Those weren’t questions.

“Need to be, I have something planned.” He waited for her murmur of acknowledgement before continuing. Not for the first time, Jon wondered if he was right to have been honest with her the day before. If none of this happened, if Sam’s comet never landed, he would never have said a word to her. It was cruel and he’d regretted it almost immediately. “Give me until six or seven and have fun with your mother. I know that’s important to you and I won’t forget.” He held out his smallest finger, crooked. “Pinkie promise?”

Sansa snorted before shoving his chest so he fell back on the best. “Be there,” she said, climbing astride his hips.

He was getting hard. “You better get off me or your family will be hearing sex noises from this room in about thirty more seconds.”

It worked, a fact which he was sorely disappointed over. “Give me a minute to dress and we can go eat.”

Later, he kissed Sansa good-bye and left her for his first task of the day, reviewing one of their guard spots. It was the first shift with three men and Jon was pleased. His old friends Rodrik and Vayan Poole stood in the road, a pair of trucks blocking the path behind them. Jory was hidden away, his hollered greeting the only clue to his whereabouts.

Ten minutes later, the first drowned rat appeared. “Name?”

“Michael Scott.”

“How did you end up here?” This was always the first question asked. Jon wanted that information before the drowned rats were able to guess at their fate.

“I met someone a few days back who told me you were organizing.”

“Who?”

“I never asked.” The man’s cheek twitched, he was lying. Most likely, he wasn’t sure if the name would be the right answer.

“What did you do?”

“Financial planner.”

“Any blacksmithing skills? Carpentry? Mechanic? Electrical? Medical training? Military?” The first question was only because of Sansa. He missed her.

“No, sir.” Michael Scott knew the answer he was going to get, it was clear on his face.

Jon studied the man’s suit. It was expensive, he was pretty sure, Sansa would know for certain. Now, it was damp and covered in dirt with a tear by the shoulder. “We’re going to ask you to turn around and go back the way you came. Be aware, you’re going to be watched the entire time. I’d suggest you don’t return.”

Next came a young couple claiming to be third year medical students who’d been camping alone in the woods. They’d finally run out of food and were forced to leave their site. Jon let them through, with directions on where to go and a warning of their potential fate if their claim proved false.

It was the third set of drowned rats that gave Jon pause. A family, two children holding their mother’s hand and the youngest carried in her father’s arms. Sansa’s words came back to him, asking who would be the one to tell parents their children would starve. He stayed quiet, letting Vayan ask the questions. Jon felt a coward upon hearing the man was in construction and home building, it meant he didn’t have to make a decision. The family was let through with instructions on where to go.

Ten minutes later, their fourth drowned rat drove up in a brand new Cadillac. His blond hair and tan clothing made Jon think of a drowned scarecrow rather than the usual rat. A marketing executive, nice and polite, until asked to turn around. The drowned scarecrow demanded to be let through before pulling back the edge of his coat, showing the pistol hidden away.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes. You’re letting me in.”

“All right. None of us are armed,” he lied. “We’re going to raise our hands.” Jon slowly did just that. The shot went through the marketing executive’s head, neat and clean. Jory always did have good aim.

He left them, feeling only somewhat pleased. Adding a third person to each guard spot solved one problem but created another. And whether it was two or three, turning people away would eventually wear at the hardest of them.

“I’m taking Edd and Grenn with me to blow out the bridge between us and Cerywn tomorrow. A few sticks at 40% ought to do the trick.” Further south would find more flooding and devastation, and with those came people fleeing. It was easier to prevent their arrival than turn them away. Jon wondered what Sansa would say to his plans. Nothing good, no doubt.

Robb sat across from him in the emptied conference room. His expression changed from puzzlement to understanding before his lips twisted into a frown and he began rubbing at his temples. “We should have done it earlier. There are almost 150 housed inside the school, the one place without water. I don’t know where to stick them next.” Water was one of the few needs they didn’t need to worry about, at least so far. Most everyone had a well or a neighbor with one.

“Five more, I sent a family in. Plus a pair of supposed med students, they can stay with Dr. Luwin. He’ll enjoy the company.” Not that it mattered. “I’m changing the procedures for guard duty. The same screening but you and I decide who stays or goes. We can’t ask them to decide. If it’s gonna be done-”

“-It’s going to be us. That reminds me, add veterinarian and engineers to the list of skills.”

“Blacksmith too.” Jon explained Sansa’s idea from earlier that morning. “I thought you’d enjoy solving that problem.

“Shit. I spent the morning with Mrs. Mormont, she agreed, provided she runs the whole damn effort.” He snorted. “Best news we’ve had.” Maege Mormont was a small woman but frightening. The Mormont family ran a small chicken farm, or they did. Some were about to be distributed to other families in the area for eggs. The rest were to be slaughtered and their meat preserved. The same exercise would be repeated with cattle next. They lacked the feed and most of the barley and soybean crops were destroyed by the salt rain. Their only choice was to cull the herds or let them slowly starve.

Their conversation drifted, as it always did. The two of them had long formed a habit of providing each other with updates. For what reason, he didn’t know. After a while, Sam and a couple councilmen wandered in to speak with them.

“I have numbers for you,” said Sam dejectedly “You aren’t going to like it.”

“How long?” Asked Robb.

“Four months, maybe five if we ration carefully,” he answered. It was barely August. Not long enough. “If your inventory is accurate, if we preserve what you say we will, if we have zero waste. Everything assumes one hundred more people than the current population.” Sam’s face turned increasingly red as he spoke.

Jon felt chilled. “Five months until we run out of food.” In the middle of winter too.

“Assuming nothing else changes, yes. I’m sorry.” No doubt his friend felt he deserved the blame for telling them. “What you two did helped, but it won’t be enough,” he finished sheepishly.

It had been a lark, one they’d felt foolish for doing. They both ended up quietly ordering canned goods online, hiding it in their barns and basements. He and Robb admitted it to each other after half a bottle of Scotch one night, laughing over their paranoia. They should have done more.

They would need to start scavenging for food then, and hunting. If they weren’t careful, the wolfs wood would be emptied too before the winter ended. “We can do regular supply runs. Emptied houses or offices. Food will be hidden somewhere.”

“Not enough,” said Robb. It wouldn’t be. At least not until spring crops would grow. The salt rain destroyed almost everything.

“I have an idea,” Sam squeaked. “The price though….”

Jon wanted to laugh as Sam explained. He knew what Ned Stark would tell them to do, the man would stare them down with the cold expression he sometimes wore, the one that frightened him as a boy, and command them to find another way. The scope of their supply run would need to be widened. He recalled Sansa’s earlier suggestion to go in search of clothes and his own ideas began to form. It wasn’t a supply run or some scavenging Jon needed, it was an army of locusts, to turn them loose on the ruins of Westeros.

The day continued, passing quickly from one task to another until he looked at his watch, 6:15. The conference room light was fading, lending it a gloomy feel. Across from him, Robb sat, reading through the refugee lists. Jon ceased to care, he had someplace to be.

“Chief?” Grenn stood in the doorway, his expression told Jon he didn’t want to hear any of this.

“What’s going on?”

“A neighbor of the Marshes is outside. Their house is on fire.”

Jon leapt from his chair, running to his office to grab the flashlight kept in a drawer. Absently, he picked up a half-emptied water bottle before laughing hopelessly. Jon already knew any attempt to save the family or their house would be futile, this would be a recovery effort.

His first glimpse of the house ablaze, flames shooting through an open window erased whatever lingering doubts he had. A small group of people, more neighbors, were uselessly throwing buckets of water on the fire. He directed a group of people to clearing the yard, hoping to slow the fire’s spread. There was nothing else to be done.

Several hours later, as the flames finally began to dim, Jon asked Robb how many people were in the Marsh family.

“Six, I think.”

Six less people to feed, Jon thought, before a sick guilt took him.

*****

Sansa passed the day with her mother, enjoying every moment of it.

“Are you certain you want to give up the living room?” Her mother was slowly turning the big room into an indoor garden. Plants sat by each window with more hanging from the ceiling.

Catelyn Stark laughed. “We aren’t giving it up. This room will finally be used for something I enjoy doing.” In years past, Sasa remembered her parents hosting dinner parties and other formal events. “We’ll have a small source of fresh vegetables too.”

Her mother began showing her how to care for the plants. Sansa felt the same feeling of disquiet she’d experienced a few days earlier. It seemed her mother was determined to teach her as much as she could, as if there was a deadline they were working against.

She was largely unaware of the passing time until Arya returned home later in the day. “Sansa, I need to tell you something.”

“What’s wrong?” Her sister wore an old pair of jeans and shirt. With her dark hair and eyes, Sansa thought, not for the first time, Arya seemed more Jon’s sibling than her own.

Arya’s voice lowered to a whisper as if sharing a great secret. “I’m going to slaughter Jon’s herd while you two are gone.”

It was barely a herd, maybe twenty head, enough for Jon to work alone while he ignored the world. “Why are you telling me?”

“He’s going to be upset, Sansa.” She rolled her eyes. “Come on, we all know. Well, probably not Rickon. He’s oblivious.”

Taking away the last piece of hope that the life he wanted would ever happen too. Sansa understood what her sister was trying to say. Arya knew how much this would hurt, she worried for him, as much as Sansa did. “I’ll be ready.” Though she did not know what she could do.

At 5:30, Sansa left her house, deciding to brave the rain and walk to Jon’s, it was only a mile or so away. She carried a picnic basket on one arm, filled with their dinner and a few slices of the apple pie she’d made for him. Sansa did not know what Jon planned but the idea of a picnic, with only a few candles for light, struck her as very romantic. She was dressed practically, for a walk in the rain, but her backpack held one of her favorite dresses, wrapped in plastic so it would stay dry.

Unease hit her when she noticed his car was nowhere to be found but she dismissed it, remembering his earlier warning that it may be closer to seven. She set the picnic basket on his kitchen table before wandering through his house. It was clean, reminding her that Gilly Tarly had been living there. Jon was not a slob but he did tend towards clutter. After wandering through the rooms, she looked through a bookshelf for something to read. Her fingers traced along the edge of several, military histories and science fiction, neither of which she cared for. Eventually, Sansa settled on an old Hardy Boys book. She smiled, amused to see it was one of the old blue covers.

She settled on the sofa, book in one hand and flashlight in the other, until the sky outside turned black and she knew it was well past seven. The rain grew louder then, whether due to a storm or her worry, she could not say. She picked at her dinner, leaving the pie for Jon, before returning to her book. Eventually, Sansa went to his room, in search of some blankets and one of his old shirts to use as pajamas. She curled up in the same spot before deciding to go to sleep.

Alone in the dark and quiet, the worry Sansa had been avoiding began to grow. Either he was avoiding her again or something was very wrong. Eventually, she decided he started talking with Robb and forgot to notice the time. It was easy, cell phones were all dead and most clocks required electrical power. Even she did not know the precise time, only that it was very late. Convinced she had the truth of it, sleep claimed her.

She was being jostled and Sansa felt her foot hit against something hard. “Jon?”

“Quiet. We’re going to bed.” His whisper sounded comforting in her hazy state.

From their movements, Sansa realized he was carrying her up the stairs. “You stood me up again.”

“I got delayed.” He set her on the bed. The blankets were already pulled back for her. The room had a single candle lit too. “Go back to sleep.”

She rubbed her eyes, taking notice of him in the dim light. He was dressed the same as when she saw him last. “I can’t, I’m awake now. What time is it?”

“Three, maybe later. I’m not sure.” He removed his shirt and she heard the sound of a zipper. “Will you take your clothes off for me?”

“Why?”

“Nothing’s going to happen,” he said impatiently. “Please.” Jon pulled off his boxer briefs before blowing out the candle.

Sansa did as he asked. Jon climbed into the bed before roughly pulling her close. He was asleep within seconds and, after awhile, she joined him.

The next morning, she woke to find herself alone in the bed and the house silent. She grabbed the t shirt she’d been wearing and put it back on before going in search of Jon. She found him in the kitchen, eating the cold remains of their food and wearing nothing but a pair of jeans. They were damp and his chest had a few drops of rain on it. “What time is it?”

“A little after nine.” He held out his plate. “You hungry?”

“I made it for you.”

He prowled around the kitchen, food in hand. “I’m sorry, I meant to be here,” he apologized.

She studied Jon’s movements, sensing the agitation in him. He never was one for being still. Jon would build a fence, then tear it down so he could rebuild it all over again. Sansa wanted to know what happened but her questions would need to wait. “It’s fine,” she said, hoping it sounded reassuring. “Perhaps dates aren’t something we should be planning for right now.”

“What are you talking about?” Jon set his plate by the sink, making her wonder who he expected to clean it. “Give me ten minutes. You’ll want to put pants on too, nothing fancy, we aren’t going far. Or, you could leave them off, give me a view.” He smiled devilishly before kissing her. “We’ve got a few hours, I’m taking advantage.”

Sansa did as suggested before joining him once more. “We better not be going fishing or to a barn raising,” she said, taking his hand.

Jon grinned, the first one she’d seen since waking. Sansa could feel the tension leaving him. “No, something closer. Come on.” He dragged her out of the house, towards his work shop.

Sansa gasped his name once they were inside.

“Better hurry before the water gets cold.”

“You aren’t going to join me?”

“I remembered you wishing for a hot bath again. This is for you.” He sat on a nearby chair, a couple feet away. “I was planning to remodel the bathroom before Sam ruined it all. The tub has been sitting here for months, unused.”

She quickly undressed before climbing in. The water turned her skin red, she loved it. “How did you heat the water?”

“Wood fire stove and the generator. Don’t tell the sheriff I wasted gas on something like this, rumor has it he’s a real asshole.”

“Oh, he is,” she agreed. “I’ve been spending a great deal of time with him lately. “

Jon snickered but said nothing, slouching in his chair, content to let her relax. Sansa lay back and closed her eyes, feeling the heat seep into her skin and muscle. It was bliss. “I can’t believe you did this.” It would have taken him quite some time, filling buckets and large pots with water, heating them all. Sansa had been largely content with a simple washcloth and cold water.

“Why not? The original plan was this, followed by a fire and bottle of wine.”

She opened one eye, peering out at him “You don’t like wine.”

“No, but it would have gotten you drunk so I could have my way with you,” he said, straight-faced.

They’d been together a few days ago, but that was more a frenzied coupling than anything. Sansa had wanted comfort from him as much as physical pleasure and she’d suspected Jon needed the same. This time, though, she didn’t have that excuse. “You wouldn't need wine for that.”

Jon’s chest heaved. “Hurry up,” he ordered.

She giggled, sinking further into the water. Sansa had no intention of leaving until the water cooled. “Are you enjoying the show?”

“If we had popcorn, I’d be eating it.”

Too soon, the water grew tepid and she stood, letting Jon wrap a towel around her. “Thank you.” His lips drew into a half-smile and a trace of vulnerability fell across his face before leaving. She wondered again what happened the day before. “Let’s take advantage of the next couple hours before we need to go.”

Jon liked that. “Will you be coming with?”

“If you’ll have me.”

“Oh, I’m having you.” Sansa rolled her eyes at his tone. “Let’s go.” He led her back to his bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind him.

“Jon, you live alone.”

“Not taking chances.” He unzipped his jeans before pulling them off. “We only have a couple hours.”

“You think well of yourself,” she challenged.

His eyes darkened. “Remove your towel.” Sansa stepped away, curious what he would do. Jon followed, quickly flipping her so her back faced him. She felt his hand on her thigh, the tips of his fingers trailed along her skin until he reached the edge of the towel and yanked it off. “Much better,” he said harshly.

Sansa felt his lips between her shoulder blades and lower down her spine. She grabbed Jon’s hips, leaning into him. His cock was already hard where it rested against her bottom. Tension grew in her.

His lips moved up, kissing behind her ear. “I missed you, I missed you so much,” he whispered.

Sansa did not know what to say to that. “Let’s go to bed.”

He turned her so she faced him “In a minute.” Jon took her lips, she opened for him, letting him invade her mouth. Sansa rubbed her hands across his chest until they came to rest on his waist. He moved lower, kissing her neck and breasts and stomach before coming back up, cupping her breasts with his hands. “You belong here, you belong in this bed, with me,” he said in between kisses to her cheek.

She did not know what to say to that either. Instead, Sansa pushed at his chest so he fell against the bed before climbing on. His comforter was a simple pattern of gray and black, it suited him. She climbed on, straddling his hips. Jon made no move to stop her so she ghosted her fingers along the hard lines of his chest and lower to the V of his abdomen. “You still have a farmer’s tan.”

“Give the rain a couple more weeks, it’ll go away.”

She shook her head, not wanting that to happen. “I’ve never seen you without it.” Sansa moved off him, giving a satisfied grin at his hiss when she took his cock in her hand. She licked him, from the tip to the very base before taking him in her mouth. She cupped the base and sucked, pressing her tongue to the spot under his tip.

Jon drew up, so his weight rested on the back of his arms. “Oh, fuck me, Sansa.” She felt his hands in her wet hair, stroking rather than pulling at it. “Fuck. Your mouth feels so fucking good.” His hips began to thrust ever so slightly. Sansa took him all the way to the back of her throat, humming.

He reached down, pulling her back up to kiss her. “I’m not coming in your mouth this soon.”

She smirked. “Need a break?”

“Your lips are swollen.” He put his arms around her waist, rolling so she lay underneath him. Jon moved down her body. “Put your legs over my shoulders.” It sounded as if he was growling.

Sansa started when she realized what he was doing. “Are you...are you sniffing me?”

“You smell good.” She felt his wet tongue against her. “You taste better.” Jon slipped a finger into her as his tongue flicked against her nub. Her hands came to rest in his hair as her thighs tightened around him. Jon’s tongue moved faster and her back arched as she began pulling at his hair. She felt him flinch. “Use me if you need to,” he said, voice muffled, before his finger and tongue moved in a rhythm together. She gasped and whined before a loud cry escaped her. Jon kissed her thigh as she released his hair, spent.

“You always were pretty damn amazing at that,” she said hazily.

“I have an incentive.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What would that be?” Sansa suspected she knew the answer.

“Getting between your legs.” His hips wiggled, as if to prove his point. “Pretty certain I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

“That’s not saying a whole lot.”

“Still true.” She hissed as he slammed into her. “Sorry, sorry.” He kissed her.

“No, you’re not,” she said, their lips still joined.

“I am a little,” he protested. Jon thrust his hips ever so slightly. Sansa felt a thrill to see his expression as he did so. “You feel so fucking good.” He began to rock into her as they looked into each other’s eyes, their breath mingling together.

“So do you.” Sansa raked her nails up his back, enjoying his shiver as she did so, before her arms encircled his neck.

“Fuck me,” he rasped into her ear as his thrusts deepened.

“I already am,” she said breathlessly, lifting her hips to meet his. Jon’s speed did not increase though, as if he was determined to take his time. She wanted more. “Jon, please.”

“Are you begging?” The prospect excited him.

“Yes.”

He reached between them, gently rubbing against her clit with his thumb. “I want to see you fall apart on me one more time.” He then began to ram into her with enough force the bed began to shake.

Sansa knew only the wet sound of their bodies slapping together and the feel of him against her. Tension began to grow until she felt overwhelmed, keening wordlessly in pleasure as she came. Jon followed soon after, roaring out his release as he jerked several times and stilled.

“We needed that,” he mumbled. Sansa wrapped her legs around him so he couldn’t move away. “I’m not leaving,” he said, noticing.

His chest was slick with sweat where it rested against her. “I thought we should eat quickly and then have another go.”

Jon laughed suddenly. “I have no idea what’s in this house. I’m barely ever here.”

“We’ll find something.” Sansa decided to go through his stores at some point and meet with Gilly. She liked the idea of them sharing some meals alone.

“I’m leaving tomorrow.” They were sitting at his kitchen table, cups of coffee in hand.

She did not like hearing that. “How long will you be gone?”

“No idea. When I come back, we go for a visit with your friend.” She looked forward to that much at least. “Sansa?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He raked his fingers through his hair, it was a mess. “I don’t want us spending any more nights apart.”

“I don’t either.” She suspected he meant to tell her something else though.

 

_Further north, in the mountains north of Long Lake, snow began to appear on the peaks. No one living could recall the sight of snow in the mountains so early in the year. Many left their home, in search of safety and refuge further south._

_To the south, a former Night’s Watch corporal leads a band of fellow soldiers, all seeking a new life in the strange world the comet created. The city of Barrowton is largely emptied, there is little food or supplies to be found. He turns his unit, the numbers growing daily, north._

_A preacher calling himself the High Sparrow leads his people across the White Knife, using a bridge provided by the gods. He moves north, as the gods will it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI, more violence is coming in the next couple chapters.  
> Also, I've been slowly re-watching The Office.


	13. Chapter 13

**_Three weeks after Hammerfall…_ **

Jon checked the contents of both saddlebags one last time, each were the same as they were five minutes ago. He still couldn’t believe Sansa had convinced him to do this. Going for a week so she could visit with a friend over tea and biscuits was a waste of time, even for Robb. He huffed, impatiently watching Arya and Sansa whispering together over something. “Are you two about done?” That did it, they hugged finally.

“If you hurt my children, I’ll skin you alive,” Arya threatened as she walked past him.

“You’ll miss me while I’m gone.” He just barely reached to mess her hair.

“I already forgot you exist,” she called out before escaping through the stable door.

Jon gazed after, grinning affectionately.

“You two act like brother and sister.” Her arm circled his waist and Jon felt a couple fingers absently stroking his side.

“Arya’s my little sister.” He’d been close to Robb first, maybe because they were less than a couple months apart, but Arya was the first that gave him a sense of family bond. He knew Sansa, but she was always there, someone who inhabited the same spaces. but that was it, at least until that weekend when he asked her over. “She always will be.”

“Good.”

“Alright, time for the rules and I expect them to be followed.”

“Sir, yes sir.” Sansa gave him a salute so sloppy Jon almost felt insulted.

“As I was saying,” he said, deciding to ignore her. “You do what I say, all the time. No exceptions.”

Her lips were pressed together from trying to hold back laughter. “Okay, what else?”

“That’s it. That’s the only rule.” Sansa could no longer contain her laughter. “Sansa, this isn’t a joke. You’ve either been home safe or with me since the beginning. If you aren’t going to listen, then we aren’t going.”

She must have picked up on his tone since the laughter ceased “I got it. I’ll listen...and do what you say.”

Jon decided he’d be lucky if she did what he asked of her half the time. “Have you ever sat all day on a horse?”

“No.”

“You’ll be sore later. Have you ever camped before?” Jon paused, realizing she’d give him the wrong answer and continued on, elaborating, ”Not out of the back of a car or in an RV with electric and bathrooms ten steps away.”

“No.” Sansa sounded a bit more timid now.

“Ever built a fire? Know how to clarify water? Have you set foot outside this county in the past two weeks?”

“No,” she said mulishly. “You don’t need to go on, I get it.”

“Good.” She stood across from him, in jeans and a sweater with that pink raincoat she wore so often now. Her hair was pulled into a thick braid with the end strands pointing out of her hood. The enthusiasm he’d seen only a couple minutes ago was gone too. “Let’s go.”

They both mounted up and left the Stark home behind, heading west, through the Stark’s undeveloped fields and towards the wolfs wood. After his last trip, Jon intended to avoid people as much as possible. He knew some horse trails that would get them at least halfway there. There were a few places with clearings big enough for a tent. This way, there were no roads, no towns, no large neighborhoods, or anything else for them to stumble upon. Or, so he hoped. Jon had only returned a few days earlier, from a trip that turned from two or three days into twice that. They had more medicine than they did before and brought a veterinarian back with them, even if he’d come unwillingly.

It took less than an hour to reach the woods and disappear into its canopy. The tree tops, so old and thick, meant the rain barely reached them. Jon glanced at Sansa, she’d been unusually silent since they’d set out. He’d been looking forward to listening to her, it was always a welcome distraction from all the thoughts in his head. Instead, all he could see of her was a chin stubbornly jutting out of her pink hood. He decided to follow her example and enjoy the sounds of the forest about them. He’d spent a great deal of time in these woods. Ned Stark and Jory Cassel used to take him and Robb hunting and camping in then when they were younger. Later, the two of them took Bran and Rickon and did the same. Jon had caught his first white-tail less than a mile from where they rode.

“You can be a real asshole sometimes, you know that?” Yes, he did, but Jon did not want to tell her. “I found out about the bridge from Edd while you were gone. You were close-lipped the whole way back home about your plans here too even when I kept asking. Now, you spout off as if I’m ignorant of danger. I asked you what happened while you were gone and do you remember what you said?”

He’d told her they needed more gas than thought and scavenging it took awhile and that they’d decided to venture further than planned, all of which was true. It was the rest he kept to himself. “I didn’t want you to worry.”

“So you keep me ignorant? Much better.” She stopped suddenly, forcing him to do the same, before pulling her hood back. Jon expected to see anger but he was wrong. That was worse. “Do you know what I did while you were gone? I lied. Kind lies, comforting lies, but they were still lies. Somehow, word is out that you and I are together and, of course, Robb is my brother. He attached me to the inventory crew as his public relations spokesperson, I guess. Some families get it, they’re all in, the Mormonts and the Cassels. Others don’t, they require feed trucks on the regular and shipments of seed that won’t be coming. So, I lied that we have a plan. Same with all those in Wintertown, the ones who owned a restaurant or an antique shop. They don’t know what to do and all those refugees Robb shoved in our school. You know about them, Jon, but I was the one that actually spoke to them. I looked them in the eye and said we had enough food and a plan to take care of everyone.” Her voice had risen higher and higher until she stopped abruptly.

Jon did not know what to tell her. He’d hurt her again. “You know we don’t have enough food.”

“Sam shared that with me, yes.” Not him, she meant. Sansa pushed forward, leaving Jon to follow in her wake.

“You know what else I realized? I’m selfish. All these rules put in place about contributing and we take off for a week with horses and food. Why? So I can check on a friend because I’m worried about her. Tell me this. If anyone else asked to go, would it even be considered? Don’t bother, it wouldn’t and we both know it. I get away with it because I’m with you and Robb Stark is my brother.”

He didn’t know how to respond to that either, she was right. If some else asked, he would have said they were free to leave at any time, with the implications clear. “Okay, I’m a closed-off asshole and you’re a selfish bitch. It’s written in the stars.”

She snorted. “If you hadn’t asked me over to your place, we wouldn’t be here together now.”

Jon still didn’t know what made him do it. Sansa had driven up a few days prior to attend the town fair and a party. For some reason, they’d ended up having several conversations over her visit, and, with a drink or two for courage, he’d asked if she wanted to come over. “Written in your red lace bra then.” She’d stayed with him the rest of the weekend, even calling in sick to work for a couple days.

“That’s better. It’s not destiny it’s - Jon, look!” She quickly dismounted, practically leaping off her horse to pull at the snaps of her coat to remove it. “Look!”

He did, frantically moving his head about, but it was only forest around them, oak pine, and ash with them in the middle of the wider horse trail. “Oh. Fuck me.” Jon had finally looked up  He followed her movements, even taking his shirt off, deciding to ignore the cool breeze. “Didn’t you promise to dance naked outside when the rain finally stopped?”

“You’ll get a shirt but that’s it. How long will it last?”

Jon gazed upwards, to the sky above them. It was still gray and overcast, as gloomy as it’d been the day before. He didn’t care, the rain stopped. “No idea.” The air was still damp. It smelled like wet earth and hummus. “Let’s enjoy this.”

Sansa wiped at her eyes and cheeks but it was too late, the tears were flowing. “This has to mean something, I know it does.”

He raised a brow quizzically. Sansa didn’t believe in destiny but she saw a deeper meaning in rainfall. “Come here.” He pulled her close, kissing her, “You know, I’ve never touched you outside before.”

“We aren’t having sex on the wet dirt so don’t ask.”

“Can I grope you or maybe cop a feel even?” It didn’t hurt to ask.

“No, you can’t do those either.” Her tone made him think of a school teacher correcting her student. He liked it. “Let’s get dressed.”

Jon didn’t want too but did as she told him. “We need to get moving anyways.” They could enjoy the dry spell atop their horses just as well, however long it lasted.

The rain started only thirty minutes later with a loud thunder strike that led to another miserable drizzle. The edges of their jeans were both wet. Jon wondered if they looked like the drowned rats turned refugees that kept turning up in Winterfell.

The rest of the day was uneventful, stopping a few times to rest the horses and let them feed. He pulled them off the trail just as dusk appeared. He wasn’t about to risk the horses travelling in darkness, he half-believed Arya’s threat to skin him alive.

“Aren’t we going to start a fire?”

Jon pointed at the ground. “No, the wood is all wet,” he explained. “It’d be almost impossible to start, and if it did, the fire would be a weak and smoky thing.

Sansa pursed her lips. “But you asked if I knew how to make one,” she said accusingly.

“I was proving a point.” She glared at him. “And I was very worried about your safety,” he expanded, more carefully this time.

She looked at him, exasperated. “So what are we going to do for light?”

His shoulders relaxed. “Lanterns. Dim light and only for a little while.”

Later, after the horses were tended to and a cold dinner eaten, they sat huddled together in their tent’s cramped space.

“Pants and shoes off but leave the rest on.”

“Why?” Jon wondered if she expected him to demand they get naked right away. Probably.

“In case we need to dress quickly.” They crawled into the giant sleeping bag they’d made together. Sansa immediately moved his arm so she could use it as a pillow. It’d be completely numb in ten minutes but he kept quiet. “I am working on my communication skills, in case it isn't obvious.”

She hummed. “It’s...becoming obvious.” He ignored that long pause. “I am noticing it.”

Jon stopped himself from tapping the fingers of his free hand “You want to know what happened while I was gone?” He swallowed thickly, a part of him not liking the idea of using her as a confessor. Another part would really prefer not to talk about it at all.

“I want us to be open with each other.” That was a yes.

“Most of it was as I told you. We went to doctor’s offices looking for supplies. We stopped at some gas stations and took what they had, stayed away from grocery stores since there were only a few of us. Honestly, it was easy. We scouted a couple places but if we saw any sign of fortifications, we left them alone.”

“That’s not so bad.”

“There’s more. Dr.Luwin let slip that he had a friend who was in pharmaceuticals. I broke into his house the day before we left to steal his address book. Well, we found the guy, he lives maybe an hour or two from here. One of us shot him, I don’t know who.” Jon had been in a different room when it happened. He heard other footsteps besides his own but couldn’t say whose.

“Did he have anything?”

“Aspirin, cold medicine, what you’d expect to find in most any house. There’s no way to know who did it, or rather, it’s inconvenient to know, so I called it a suicide. We cleaned him out and left.” They took everything that could possibly be useful. Jon still wondered who did the deed but it would remain a mystery for now, perhaps for a long while.

“What else?”

“Our last stop was at a vet who specializes in large animals. We tried to recruit him back to Winterfell but he didn’t want to go, said he couldn’t leave in case his wife came back.”

“This is the one you installed at the Cassels.”

“We made him write a note to his wife and leave it on the table if she ever shows up. She won’t though, she’s dead. We saved his life and now we have a desperately needed vet.” Herds would be culled down to the bare minimums, death or illness would be disaster for people and animal alike. An old man living alone by himself, eating cold canned goods, would have starved to death or would have struck out on his own eventually, dying by some other method.

“There’s a woman at the school, don’t even remember her name.” Sansa scooted, moving closer to his shoulder. His arm tingled painfully. “She was asking all sorts of questions that had no answer. Her hair was plain but she had makeup on and she looked so pretty. I was wearing old clothes with my hair in a ponytail. My nails are chipped and I’m almost out of my favorite lip glass. She kept asking questions and I wanted to slap her. She was scared, like everyone else, but all I did was get angry.” Her voice oozed with guilt.

“I guess we’re both awful.”

“I guess so.” Jon meant it to be humorous but she sounded defeated. “Good night, Jon.”

“Let’s go to sleep then.” He did his best to follow his own instructions but it wasn’t working. Sansa squirmed about, restless. She felt like a furnace next to him. “I love you.”

Sansa moved so she straddled his hips and Jon felt her pulling at his briefs. He didn’t say anything, if she wanted a distraction, he’d give it to her. He started yanking at her panties as she leaned down to kiss him.

They woke before dawn the next morning and quickly readied for the day. Sansa seemed in better spirits which helped to counter the pre-dawn gloom.

“Do you think the rain will stop again?”

He lifted his shoulders, unsure. “Maybe. Probably.” Sam was the person to ask, not him. “Do you know where we are?”

She rolled her eyes. “The woods.”

“You’re not funny,” he said, chuckling. “We’re going to ride up this trail for a few hours and then go more south west towards a stream. From there, we’re moving closer to roads.”

Sana stared blankly. She mounted up and pointed north. “Ready to go?”

That’s the wrong direction.” Jon caught her expression. “Hilarious.” She laughed as they set off back on the trail.

The hours passed and they saw no one. It was as if the world ended but left them as the only two survivors. There was only them and their conversation, with the rain and chilly wind for company. The road was empty, not a single vehicle passed them. No car or motorcycle.

“Don’t move.” A man in a military uniform stepped out from behind a tree. Camouflage, Jon noted, but the insignia was Night’s Watch. “Is it only you two? Got any food?” The man was jumpy and scared. His skin was very pale, there was something unnatural about it. He had no beard, only stubble, which meant he’d shaved too. Scared or not, he had a rifle and it was pointed directly at them.

Jon couldn’t fight or shoot his way out of this.

Sansa stared at him, eyes bulging with fear. “Would you like some food?” She opened her saddlebags and handed off the last of the bread they’d brought with. Her hands were shaking.

The man ripped it from her hand and wolfed it down, making Jon wonder when he’d last eaten. “What else you got?”

Jon opened his own bags to pull out more of their food, making sure his movements were easily visible. “Dried fruit, some jerky.”

“Throw it all down on the ground. I’ll take it all.”

Jon did as instructed.

The stranger slowly relaxed but did not pick up the food. The jumpiness was still there. There was something very wrong with him, something Jon could not identify. “Where were you….?”

“We were driving home from a visit in White Harbor when it happened. The earthquakes were bad though.” He wanted to talk. If that was the case, Jon would let him. “How about you?”

“South of here with my unit.” The rifle was still aimed at him, probably assuming he was the bigger threat. Still, Jon wasn’t stupid enough to risk something and leave Sansa alone.

“That must have been very frightening, especially if you were alone,” Sansa said compassionately. She was following his lead, he realized. “My mother was alone too, until we got to her. We took her to the rest of our family and now we’re trying to find my friend. We think she’s in trouble.” Jon never loved her more.

“We were on a training run when our trucks went into a ditch. We walked back to camp where they made us take care of the civilians. Our corporal...he...he killed them. He said we didn’t have to take orders anymore so I went along with it. I mean, everything was gone already, you know?” Words gushed out of him, as if justifying his thievery. “Then we walked and walked and I was hungry and -” He cut off suddenly and an expression came over the soldier’s face that worried Jon. “I wish you had more food.”

They couldn’t give him more or they would have none for themselves. “Here, take my jacket. It’s layered and weather proof. You’ll stay much drier with it on.”The stranger was shivering some and was soaked. Jon pulled it off and handed it over.

The soldier picked everything up and lowered his rifle some, but not enough for Jon’s liking. “Don’t go south. We killed a man and a woman and we ate them. He said that’s what we do now. I didn’t want to so I ran away as soon as I could.” He gave a pained, hysterical laugh. “Don’t go south.” He ran back into the trees, disappearing into the woods.

“Jon?”

“Face forward and let’s keep going, slow and steady. Don’t look back.”

She nodded and they set off, keeping their horses at a slow walk. The cannibalism stunned him, it had only been a few weeks. There was more to the story and he had no way of finding out.

“We lost half our food and you’re going to be cold,” she said, voice shaky. “Do you think he was telling the truth?”

“Yes, I do. Something was off but I’ll be damned if I know what.” He wasn’t going to turn back to find out either. “We’ve still got half our food, we can go a little hungry. We’ve got water and our tent. We get further down the road and I’ll put another shirt on.” Jon was cold, he would be until they got home again. A little cooler and he might start shivering. “If you’re worried, feel free to sleep on top of me tonight.”

“You are so predictable.”

“Simple needs, Sansa.”

The rest of the day was uneventful, it was as if they were the only ones alone in the world again. As soon as he could, Jon led them back off the road and into the woods, well away from the soldier. They were heading southwest too, which worried at him. The man warned them, twice, not to go south. Jon needed to know more.

Later, they lay huddled up in their tent after a light dinner. He was still hungry and guessed Sansa was too. The two sweaters he’d worn were stretched out flat by their feet with the hope they would dry some overnight. Jon didn’t particularly relish putting wet clothes back on in the morning.

“You can use my raincoat tomorrow. It’s only fair.”

Jon snorted, not surprised at her offer. “So we’re both wet? No thanks.” He kissed Sansa’s forehead after searching it out with his fingers. Since encountering the stranger, he’d decided not to use the lantern that night. They were in darkness, the last pathetic traces of the sun were gone.

“The rain didn’t stop today. I hoped it would.” She sighed, disappointed. He hadn’t even noticed.

“Eh, it’s not so bad. I’ve never wanted to live in a desert so much in my life though, so there’s that.”

Sansa quietly laughed before stopping abruptly. “I love you too. I should have told you earlier.”

Jon’s heart skipped a beat, he hadn’t expected that confession from her. The thought flickered in his head, that she only said it because of what happened earlier that day, but he dismissed it. Even if it was partially true, Sansa wouldn’t tell him unless she meant it. “You told me when you were ready. I love you too.” She’d be moving in with him soon as well but he’d push off announcing his decision until they were back home again.

They talked for awhile longer, eventually falling asleep in the other’s arms. Neither of them initiated anything, but he didn’t care.

The next day, they woke and readied, the same as the day before, and set off. Jon kept them in the woods until they were closer to the Tyrell house. He’d been to it a couple times before, it was in the middle of a large grass yard, with trees bordering a couple sides. They’d be approaching from the front and he meant to know as much as he could before they left the tree line.

“Let’s stop.” Sansa glanced at him, curious, but said nothing. “I’ve got binoculars.”

“Of course you did. I bet you brought five pairs,” she taunted.

“You aren’t as funny as you think you are.” There was no bite in his tone, however. Jon pressed his lips to hers for a quick kiss.

It took him only a few seconds for Jon to know Sansa’s friend wasn’t there. His shoulders sank as he glanced at her. Sansa was almost buzzing with excitement. “Look through these and tell me what you see.”

“Their house. It looks like it always does,” she said, obviously confused. “Here,” She tried to hand the binoculars back.

Jon refused. “Look again, slower this time.”

“Why?” Still, Sansa did as he told her. Almost a full minute passed before she said anything. “The front door is wide open and so are a bunch of windows.” She passed the binoculars over, he took them this time. “No one would leave those open in this weather. It’s empty, isn’t it?” She sounded defeated.

“Probably has been for awhile. We have no way of knowing where Margaery is, Sansa. I’m sorry.” He genuinely was, for her and Robb. There wasn’t much to be done though.

“Don’t be. We’ll just have to go find her.”

Jon stiffened. It was a horrible idea in every way but he expected it. Sansa Stark didn’t give up easily which was one of the reasons he’d fallen so madly in love with her.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A confession of sorts, some reunions, and homecoming.

Jon wanted to refuse, she could tell. His jaw worked as he struggled for a response. “Will you hear me out before saying no?” 

“I’m listening,” he said in a tone which told her he was not agreeing.

“The wedding was on a Saturday, here at the house. The comet was Sunday morning. She would have been here and she would not have left. Plus, look,” she said, indicating the open garage. “Her car is here. If she left, she left on foot. I don’t think she’s far.” Sansa felt almost proud of her reasoning.

He nodded sharply. “Go on.”

“If I’m right, then I think I know where she might be. There’s a small cabin an hour or so away by horseback that her family owns. She might be there.”

“Okay, your turn to hear me out. We only have food for a couple days and I have no jacket. We aren’t equipped to hunt all over for them. That can’t happen. You get that?” She did. “So, where is this cabin?”

The question she dreaded. “Over there, somewhere,” she told him, gesticulating vaguely towards the Tyrell’s back yard. 

Jon snorted before pulling at his hair. It needed cutting. “Over  there, somewhere,” he repeated. She noticed the goosebumps on his arms. He’d not uttered a word of complaint so far. “Damn, Stark. That’s a hell of an argument.” He stepped away from her, turning slowly in a circle. Jon wanted to tell her yes, she realized.

“If I’m wrong, we go right back to Winterfell and I won’t ask again.” Sansa waited for an answer but did not get one. “Please, Jon,” she said, not liking the begging note in her voice.

“Okay, we go, if,” he paused, emphasising that word, before continuing on, “I find some trace of them and decide it’s safe enough. If not, we go home. Is that fair?”

Sansa smiled eagerly. “More than fair.” More than she hoped for, really. “I know I’m asking a lot. You must be miserable.”

“Come here,” he ordered but grabbed her arm to pull her close instead. “I’m freezing my ass off but I’m not miserable. I’ve got you.” Jon cupped the nape of her neck and breathed deep as his eyes roamed over her. A loving smile flickered and then he was kissing her, soft and unhurried, before breaking away. “Not miserable at all.” he said in a low voice, harsh and growly. If they were in a better place, she’d want to jump him.

She slid her hand under both his shirts, Jon’s skin was cool and clammy. Sansa wanted to give an answer, only she did not know what to say. He’d been gruff and off-putting when they set out but he’d changed after the first day. She knew his agreement was partially an apology. He probably thought it was a fool’s errand, she knew that too. “I’m committed to us, you know that, right?” Jon’s vulnerable expression told her the confession was unexpected. Sansa was glad she said it. She felt for him in some ways. His mother had died years ago and his father a couple years after that. She’d wondered before if part of his attraction to her was the rest of the Stark family. If it was, she didn’t care. 

He studied the ground, silent, before gazing up at her through his lashes. “When you’re ready, I want to ask you to live with me. I want to ask you to marry me too, but I can be patient.”

When he did, she would say yes to both. “Maybe when we get home, it will be time for us to have the ‘where is our relationship going’ talk.” She pulled her hand away from his stomach to smooth his shirt and trace his lips with one finger. Jon had perfect lips, she’d always thought so. “It will be a good talk, I think.”

He kissed her finger before pulling her hand away to twine it together with his own. “I hate to say it but we need to get moving. This may be awhile and I’m not familiar with the land around here.” She nodded, agreeing. “We stay in the trees around back of the house and on foot until I find what I’m looking for.”

They did just that. The windows in the back of the house were open too, she noticed. After ten minutes, as best Sansa could tell, Jon turned a sharp right, leading them further into the woods. She did not inquire, trusting his judgment. Instead, she let her mind wander. Not for the first time, Sansa found her thoughts drifting to the man who’d robbed them the previous day. She’d been frightened then, now she mostly felt sorry for him. Hungry, cold, and alone, that was all. 

“Why do you think he ate people?” Sansa could not understand it, his confession scared her more than the gun. “It can’t be as bad as that.”

Jon glanced back at her, slowing some. She’d probably surprised him, they’d been wandering quietly for a good while. “It isn’t. There’s something else to his story, something he didn’t tell us.” A gradual left turn. “Are you worried about him?”

“I’m worried for him.” Sansa wondered what she would do in his circumstances. “We have each other. He has no one.”

Jon didn’t respond so she let the conversation go. He took her hand, clasping it loosely with her own. Sansa followed where he led. She couldn’t make out the difference between one tree or another. “Where are we going?”

“Absolutely no clue,” he said flatly. “Back that way, I saw a strip of red fabric on the ground so went in that direction. Another time, a footprint in mud. It was small enough, could be a woman.” Jon tilted his head and shrugged. “I know enough to lead us back, that’s what matters most.”

They both noticed it at the same time. The rain stopped. The air was still cool and damp but there were no drops of water from the sky. She’d take it. “How long do you think it will last?” Sansa gazed upwards, telling herself the sky even looked bluer than usual. 

“Doesn’t matter. I only need fifteen minutes.” 

“What?” The hungry gleam in his eyes and the sound of his zipper answered her question. “Oh.” Sansa grinned slyly and stepped away.

“Nope. We don’t have long.” Jon followed her before pushing her back against a tree. He pulled at her zipper and she began shoving her jeans down past her hips. “Put your legs around me,” he rasped before picking her up. 

Sansa embraced him. “I can’t move.” She was wedged between him and a thick oak with her jeans down to her thighs. The air felt crisp against her exposed skin. It was sinful. 

“I don’t need you too.” 

She gulped, feeling the familiar tension in her core. 

Jon kissed her again but this time it felt predatory and greedy. She parted her lips and let his tongue taste her. His mouth went lower, to her chin and neck where he nipped at her. Sansa shivered, but not from the cold. Jon started to grind against her and a mewling sound spilled from her lips. 

He stiffened suddenly. “We aren’t alone,” Jon said tightly before shushing and lowering her to the ground.

“Well, Sansa. I’m jealous. That is one of the finest asses I’ve ever seen,” said a familiar voice.

She squealed with joy, hurrying to pull her jeans up. Jon did not seem nearly as pleased. “Go, I’ll be along in a second,” he moaned. 

Sansa did just that, racing to hug her old friend. Her instincts were right. 

Margaery’s clothes were clean if slightly damp and her hair was pulled up into a messy bun. She also wore a rifle slung over one shoulder. “How did you find me?”

Quickly, Sansa explained everything that happened from the moment Jon appeared at her apartment door, omitting the part where he tied her up and their love making on his couch. “I wanted to make sure you were okay and offer to take you back to Winterfell. Are you alone?” 

“No, Loras is with me. It’s maybe five minutes back to the cabin. Come on.” Her friend did not say anything about the rest of her family, Sansa noticed. 

Jon followed behind, leading their two horses. Sansa thought he looked awkward before realizing, he was withdrawing. She sometimes grew frustrated with how closed off he could be, but truthfully, Jon was open with her compared to other people.

Margaery stopped abruptly before the cabin, hesitating. She sighed and then sharply exhaled. “You need to know what happened before we go in. It’s been Loras and me here for the past four days alone.” 

“Have you come across anyone else?” Jon asked. He stood next to her, arms crossed. 

“No. It was the three of us at the house when that...thing hit us. Renly and Loras were only a few hours from leaving for their honeymoon. Of course, that didn’t happen. We stayed here, hoping our family would come back. Loras and Renly took some short trips hoping to find my parents or Garlan but no luck. Then a bunch of men showed up at our house.”

That grabbed Jon. “How many were military?”

“I don’t know, a few maybe. It could be more. They killed Renly. Loras and I happened to be in the woods, hidden enough by trees when it happened. We haven’t gone back.” Margaery turned increasingly pale as she spoke.

“How’s Loras?” Sansa sensed that was the reason they were staying at their cabin. 

Her friend was miserable. “Bad. He’s not doing well at all.”

Margaery was right. The cabin was closer to a one-room shack with a long counter to serve as a kitchen. Loras lay on the lone cot, staring blankly. It was more than grief, Sansa felt as if she was staring at a man who’d given up on life. 

Jon took it all in then seemingly came to a decision. “We gather all the food you have and anything else that may be useful and leave at dawn. It’ll get dark in a couple hours, we aren’t setting out now.” As if the heavens could hear him speak, the rain started again with a great roar. “The horses can take us riding double some and we take turns walking the rest.”

Loras did not react. They had cold canned soup for dinner, courtesy of the cabin’s provisions. Perhaps mindful of Loras’ grief, Jon did not zip their sleeping bags together this time around. Sansa agreed with his decision, she did not want to unnecessarily cause her friend pain. Still, she’d grown used to sleeping right next to him. If she were honest, Sansa would say she’d come to crave it. There was no fire but they had several candles, illuminating the room in a yellow glow. Jon stripped off his shirts, laying them both flat so they would hopefully dry over night and lost himself in an old magazine, no doubt to give her some privacy with her friend. Loras was already asleep, or at least pretending too.

“Now distract me. Jon never cheated, did he?”

They were laying close to each other in their respective sleeping bags. Sansa glanced towards Jon to make sure he could not hear. Either they were quiet enough or he was a good actor. “No, he didn’t. He deliberately shut me out though. Is there a difference?” It felt good to have a friend to talk with again. Sansa loved her mom and Arya but it wasn’t the same. 

“Only if the difference matters to you. Does it?” 

“I really don’t know.” Sansa didn’t. Mostly she tried not to think about it. “He wants us to live together and get married even, some day. The world ends so we plan a wedding.” The last sentence came out a sarcastic hiss. 

Margaery pulled closer to her. “Then do it. I’m serious, Sansa. It’s what I would do if I were you.”

She may still get that chance but Sansa stayed quiet. She could not speak for her brother. Instead, she changed the subject. “Has Loras always been like this? I’m worried he won’t want to come with us.” Sansa also worried how Jon would feel about dragging along a man who did not want to go and Margaery would not leave her brother. 

“I’ll knock him out and tie him to a horse if I have to.” She glanced back at her brother’s sleeping form. “If we stay here, we’re dead. It feels like October already. It’s going to get bad, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.” Sansa didn’t like to think about it. “Robb and Jon have been working on plans to save everyone though.”

“How is Robb?” she asked casually. 

“He was worried about you.” Sansa was grinning. “I’m supposed to make sure you know that you’ll be living at our house. As long as you want.” 

Margaery smirked. “How big is his bed?” 

“Big enough for two.” 

“Perfect.” 

Jon woke everyone while it was still dark outside. He was dressed and appeared to want nothing more to shove all of them out the door so they could be on their way. Instead, they ate Pop Tarts and drank from the cabin’s well. Loras was quiet but the listlessness from the day before was not so prevalent. Sansa hoped distance between him and painful memories would help. She’d spoken with him a few times but the conversation was stilted. 

“Travel back to Winterfell will be slower going. There are four of us and the horses can not ride with us partnered up the entire time. Also, my tent is designed to sleep up to three so I guess what I’m saying is you’ve got yourself a body pillow again. I stayed away last night for you and your friends but I’m not spending my nights in the rain either.” Jon had pulled her aside while the Tyrells readied to leave. 

“I don’t want you to stay away,” she whispered conspiratorially. Margaery and Loras were talking together, over the decision to accompany them back to Winterfell Sansa guessed. Her friend was right, if they stayed, they would not have survived. “Besides, you need someone to keep you warm.”

Jon waggled his brows. “In front of them? I’m game if you are,” he said before turning serious. “As for the rest, it’s going to take an extra day or two to get back. There’s hardly any food here and we are almost out. That means we’re going to get hungry. We’re also going to be following a stream north. We need the water and, if we get lucky, I can catch a fish.” 

She remembered his concerns when they first set out. He’d made her feel like a responsibility. “You have more help than you think. Margaery isn’t like me, she was raised by three older brothers. She knows how to shoot and hunt. She can fish and she’s a better rider too. Loras can do all that although maybe you shouldn’t rely on him so much.”

Jon glared at her before his jaw tightened. “I don’t ever want to hear you say that again,” he snapped.

Sansa jumped, taken aback. “I was trying to help.” She didn’t know what she’d said to make him angry.

“You think I give a shit whether you can catch a trout or not? You have no idea, do you?” He shook his head ruefully as the anger drained away. “You’ve surprised a lot of people with your talents and I think we’ll be depending on them more when winter comes. Don't compare yourself to other people, Sansa. You make them look bad.”

“Jon…”

“You promised me a talk when we get home again. I’m holding you to that.” He gave her a quick kiss and they were off.

The first day passed without incident. They did not come across another person, it was as if they were the last four people left in the world. A couple times, a deer crossed their tracks before running away. They heard chipmunks scampering in the trees above them too. The journey was slower, Jon kept them at a more casual pace out of worry for their horses. All four of them took turns walking. 

Loras was quiet but, surprisingly, it was Jon that got him to slowly open up. Sansa would never have guessed it. There was a certain patience to Jon’s manner that produced results where Margaery’s insistence met with failure. He wasn’t one to push himself on others, it allowed Loras to talk at his own pace. 

That night, Jon stayed true to his promise and she had her body pillow back. They ate the last of the cold soup from the cabin but that was it. All four of them must have been hungry but no one complained. The next day was the same, except it was cereal bars for breakfast and dinner. 

They woke on the third day and ate the last of their food. Sansa’s stomach grumbled but she said nothing. 

“We’re half way to Winterfell as best I can tell. We’ve got two more nights out here and we’ll need to stop even earlier than usual. I’m hoping to catch a fish or two from the water,” Jon said. 

Everyone’s spirits were lower and conversation was sporadic. Sansa knew she looked awful. She’d worn the same pair of underwear for two days and her scalp itched, begging to be washed. Jon was worse, he looked closer to filthy and she knew the constant rain and chill was wearing at him. He wore his shirts in layers and did his best to dry them overnight but that made little difference. It was the same for Loras and Margaery. They didn’t have any clothes to spare.

“We’re gross. All four of us, absolutely disgusting,” she announced. 

Margaery chuckled. “I don't know about the rest of you but I look fabulous.” 

Sansa laughed, putting her arm around her friend to draw her close. “You are pretty hot.” 

Jon called a halt only a few hours later. Sansa felt nauseous from hunger but did not say anything, it would not help. Secretly though, she thought of the stew her mom had taken to keeping on their wood stove for whoever came home hungry. Sansa would make a pie and biscuits for her and Jon to share too. Then, they would collapse into his bed and not leave for a week. After that, she’d burn the clothes she was wearing. 

“I’m going to see if we can catch some fish. It’ll be small but better than nothing. Gather wood, as dry as you can find it.”

“I’ll go. I’m better at fishing than you are,” said Loras. They were all stunned, it was the first time he’d volunteered for anything.

“Have you even seen me?” Jon challenged. 

“Doesn’t matter. I’m that good. Get your lines, if you have them, and lets go,” he answered in a voice that was closer to his usual confident manner that she remembered.

It took her and Margaery only a few minutes to set up the tent. It was beginning to mildew from the constant moisture. After that, they gathered up a few pathetic twigs and waited. The two men returned an hour later with a pair of fish. They were small, as Jon predicted.

“Loras is right, he’s better than me,” Jon said, grinning wryly. 

Margaery cut the fish while Jon started the fire. It was barely a fire, smoky and weak, and  took constant effort to keep it lit to cook their dinner. After, it was left to die out and they went to sleep exhausted. 

They woke the next morning and continued on. Sansa felt as if her stomach was starting to eat at her insides. Still, Jon did not want to delay the two or three hours needed to fish and insisted they press on. No one objected. Sansa guessed the former Night’s Watch man was still on Jon’s mind, as he was on hers. The longer their journey, the more likely they were to meet other people. 

The fourth day was the same except they also found some blueberries growing wild by the stream. Sansa picked the bushes dry. Their sole meal consisted of two more fish and the berries she’d gathered up. It didn’t matter, she felt almost as hungry as she did before eating. That night, Sansa drifted to sleep thinking of all the different foods she’d loved before the comet hit. 

“We’ll be home this afternoon,” Jon declared. “We took a different route back so we’ll be entering closer to the town than your house.” 

As he predicted, they arrived at one of Jon’s guard posts around two, at least according to him. Sansa had no idea of the time. The rain stopped as Rodrik Cassel greeted them. She could have wept for joy to see him.

“Well, you guys look like shit.”

“Fabulous shit,” Margaery shot back. 

Sansa laughed, feeling suddenly giddy. “High-fashion shit.” 

Jory came out from his hiding place. “We’ve got orders to be on the lookout for you. Robb Stark is in town now if you want to go see him.”

The Cassels handed out their food, watching in amusement as the four of them gobbled it up. It helped, some. After that, it was another mile into town. She wanted to go home but also understood Jon needed to check in. Besides, she told herself, it was romantic to bring Margaery to Robb this way. 

Finally, they were in the town hall, out of the rain and the wind. Sansa ignored the curious stares of people around them, she was only interested in finding Robb.

“Well, you guys look like crap,” said Rickon. 

Sansa rolled her eyes. “We do not and I missed you.” She hugged him and then made a point of kissing his cheek, knowing it would bug him for her to do it in public. 

“Are you hungry? I can get you some food.” 

“Yes,” all four of them said at once.

“Well, don’t all talk at once,” Rickon said sarcastically. Still, he set off in search of food. Sansa never loved him more. 

Jon led them to the library which was slowly being turned into the town’s central meeting hall. It was also where Robb, Jon, and a few others tended to hold court. Or, at least that was what Sansa called it. Sure enough, her brother was there. He looked grim, passing judgement on someone. After that, came the rat trapping award for the children. Rats were quickly becoming a problem so the town started a prize for kids. The one who caught the most during a contest got an extra chocolate bar. 

Sansa hung back with her friends but Jon marched up to the front of the room to whisper something to Robb. She did not know what it was but her brother promptly ended his meeting. There was a brief exchange between them and Robb’s eyes drifted in their direction before lighting up. 

“I was beginning to worry. We all were, really. Arya told me to make sure nothing was wrong with her horses.” Robb pulled her into his arms and picked her up, the way he always did.

“Yeah, or she'll skin me alive. I haven’t forgotten.” Jon gave an exaggerated shutter. 

“Loras, it’s good to see you again.” Robb shook his hand but his gaze never left Margaery. “I’ve been worried about you.”

“It’s been a difficult few weeks.” Her friend was blushing. Sansa could not recall her ever blushing before. 

“Well, you’re here now and you’re coming home with me. Both of you.” 

She felt pleased. “I told you he has a crush on her,” she whispered in Jon’s ear. 

“Yes, you did. You know what else?” 

“What?” she asked, trying, and failing to suppress a smile. 

“I’m not in the mood to play a game of heart eyes with you. Come here.” Jon wrapped his arms around her waist to lift her up before kissing her.

Sansa put her arms around his neck and kissed him back, not caring that others in the room could see. She felt happy, truly happy. 

“Oh, come on guys. That’s gross,” said Rickon. 

She ignored her brother and went right on kissing Jon. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner and a "good talk"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the fluffiest chapter so far?

“So what didn’t you tell me earlier?” Robb handed over a glass of Scotch before taking a sip of his own.

They were in the office that once belonged to Ned Stark. All four of them had cleaned up and put on dry clothes. Sansa had given him a hair cut and trimmed his beard too. Jon felt like a normal man again. The alcohol helped even more. “I think he was forced, it’s the only explanation I’ve come up with.” The former soldier’s behavior made sense once he settled on the idea. He’d run away even though there were hints he had access to supplies. “His clothing was inappropriate and he had no food. I think he took advantage of an opportunity to leave. Now, if you’re going to ask me why he was made to eat people, I have no fucking clue.”

“Do you think this was the same group of men that took over the Tyrells?”

Jon lifted his shoulders. “No idea. Margaery saw some military uniforms but that doesn’t mean anything. It was several men and vehicles. They were locusts, took almost everything but the furniture and electronics.”

Robb chewed on his inner cheek, thinking over Jon’s statement. “But no one has tried anything with us. At least so far.”

“So far,” Jon repeated. He took another sip of the drink, enjoying the burn. “We aren’t a single house or a few people. You stake out this county and you see armed men. Maybe they are going to pass us by or maybe they aren’t a threat or maybe….”

“Maybe they haven’t gotten here yet or maybe we’re worrying over nothing.”

“Pretty much,” he agreed. Jon didn’t know anything else, he had nothing more than guesses and suppositions. Still, it was the worry that drove him back to Winterfell. He’d not missed the weariness in the rest of his travel party. Hunger wore them all down and the constant damp made it worse. Sansa did not complain, none of them did really, but she’d obviously been miserable. “We need more information.”

“I owe you,” Robb said, changing the subject. “I owe you big time. You saved Sansa and then you saved them. Thank you, Jon.” He was serious, more than serious, Jon realized. Heartfelt.

“Offer up your sister,” Jon replied, smirking

His old friend snorted. “Not sure she’d like that.”

“Especially since she offered herself up first,” said a sweet voice by the doorway. Sansa stood there, wearing a blue sundress and what he thought might be two pairs of thick socks. She was stunning. “Dinner is ready.”

Everyone gathered around the Stark dining table, the chairs crammed in close to make room. Margaery and Loras were there, of course, and the Tarlys had joined as well. Jon felt a certain contentment settling into him, he didn’t know how else to describe it. Sansa smiled lovingly and he remembered her promise for them to talk. It would be a good talk.

Mrs. Stark tapped a glass, drawing attention her way. “If you’ll indulge an old woman for a minute. It’s not a holiday, I know, but I think we have cause to celebrate. All of us are together. We’re safe and we have each other. If Ned was here, he would be proud of each of you, I know it in my heart.” Jon disagreed with the ‘old woman’ judgment. She was older now, there was some gray streaks in her auburn hair and crow’s lines about her eyes. Still, he knew she provided a glimpse of Sansa one day. Catelyn Stark was still very lovely.

The room was silent as everyone mulled over her short speech. Jon noted she worded it in such a way to include all present, not merely the Stark children. The Tyrells were staring at each other, no doubt sharing a quiet moment of loss. Their entire family was gone. Jon knew the Starks would attempt to offer a replacement, as much as they could anyhow. They did it with him.

Robb embraced his mother, whispering something in her ear before kissing her cheek. Jon could not hear it but they both laughed and noise filled the room as everyone began to talk at once. Their dinner was simple, fresh steak from some of the newly culled herds, roasted potatoes, canned green beans, and cornbread. It was delicious.

Bran and Rickon regaled the table with the latest tales of their messenger job.  They and the Reeds were used to bring messages to different parts of the county. The two of them seemed to think it a great adventure. Jon envied them in some ways. Loras Tyrell was silent but he was listening avidly, which Jon took as a positive sign.

“I made you pie for dessert. Unfortunately, you’ll have to share it with others,” Sansa teased. Her eyes were twinkling.

“They’ll have to fight me for it.” He leaned in closer to her and whispered, ”Save us a couple slices to eat later.” Jon wanted to kiss her but restrained himself. The next time they kissed, it would be for them alone.

“Hey Sam, when will this rain finally stop?” aske Bran.

“Oh, it’s hard to say, without any sort of satellite views. My guess, two or three months from now.”

“Ok, I’m calling it. November 10th,” said Rickon.

“November 9th,” Robb shot back.

Margaery hummed, enjoying herself. “I’m optimistic. October 15th.”

Everyone began to shout out dates until Bran tracked down pen and paper to record the guesses. The winner got an extra chocolate bar. Once, those would have been considered a pathetic prize. Now, they were very precious. Jon thought the exercise somewhat morbid although he understood why. “January first, starting the year off right,” he pronounced.

Sam scratched at his beard, in the excited manner Jon had long come to recognize. “Can I have the paper?” Bran handed it over and everyone watched as he started to write. “Well, if the math holds up, Margaery is going to win.” If that was his friend’s prediction, Jon knew it was probably correct.

Everyone lingered over their meal, enjoying the camaraderie between them all. Catelyn Stark was right, it was not a holiday, but it felt like one. Still, their dinner eventually came to an end and Jon was put on the clean up crew.

“You need men, don’t you? I did four years in the military and I’m a good shot.”

“Loras,” Jon started. The man spoke during dinner some, but not much, certainly not enough that Jon would expect to be cornered bringing in some water. “Yes, I do. Are you offering to help?”

He nodded. “You’ll be glad to have me. Besides, this means I can help protect my sister.”

Loras had not exaggerated his skills fishing. “Rest tomorrow. After that, let's talk scavenging missions.”

Shortly after, he went in search of Sansa, finding her talking with Margaery and her mother. Sam and Gilly were preparing to return home, he noticed.

“Shall we go too?”

“You want to go to bed this early?” Jon didn’t mind but he thought Sansa would want to stay downstairs with the others.

“Well, I thought we’d be going to your house but if you’d prefer to be in a room next door to Bran…..” Sansa trailed off, wearing a knowing half-smile.

Jon gulped. “Time to go.”

They said hasty goodbyes and he practically shoved her out the door. They drove the mile back to his house, sharing their car with the Tarlys.

“Should I carry you over the threshold?”

Well for one, we aren’t married,” she pointed out. “When we are, then the answer will still be no.” Sansa turned away abruptly, running through the door and into his house.

Jon did the same but immediately ran into her. “Stay here. I’ll get a lantern.”  He came back with one of his gas lanterns and some candles. “I figured you would want to be with your family tonight.”

“I thought about it,” she said but did not elaborate.

He set about to start a fire in the living room, hoping to chase away some of the cold. “Do you want some wine?”

“What kind is it?”

He tried to remember. It was the same bottle he’d planned for their date that never happened. “Yes.”

She laughed, amused at his non-answer. Jon wasn’t much for wine. “I’ll be right back.” Sansa quickly returned, laying some blankets and pillows by the fire. “That’s better. It’s a bit chilly in here.”

“It’s been empty for a couple weeks,” he explained. “I converted one of the fire places to a wood stove so it'll keep most of this place warm in winter.” At least he hoped so. Jon had also arranged for a full truck of logs to be delivered to his house over the summer. Robb had done the same.

She laid down close to the fire on her stomach with her chin resting in her hands. Sansa’s face glowed orange. “Are you trying to convince me to move in?”

The muscles in his back and shoulders stiffened. He’d thought her suggestion to come over that night was an agreement. “Do you not want too?” he asked, feeling vulnerable all the sudden.

“Come lay down next to me,” she said, tilting her hip to indicate the spot next to her. Jon did as requested. “You haven’t asked yet.”

His muscles loosened. “You know how I feel about you, Sansa. I want us to always be together, to share a home.” As long as they could. Always, he hoped. “I screwed up a year ago, I know. It won’t happen again.”

Sansa scooted closer to him so their sides touched. “I was angry when you kidnapped me.”

“I didn’t kidnap you, I rescued you. There’s a difference.” Tying her up had been necessary. “Perhaps tying you up was a step too far. Possibly. I doubt it though.”

Her body shook as she tried to suppress laughter. “You’re horrible at this.” Sansa put her finger to his lips. “This is a good talk, remember? You have to listen.”

Jon made a motion as if zipping his lips closed and said nothing.

“Much better,” she said, nodding approvingly. “Like I said, angry. I tried to stay angry with you but I couldn’t. Do you remember that dam?” He’d nearly frozen to death, Jon wasn’t like to forget. Still, she kept on talking. “I was so frightened for you and then you woke up. I slept curled up next to you that night and the night after that. At my parent’s house, you climbed in a window for me. Then, we slept in a little tent in the woods. Do you see what I’m telling you?”

He was clueless. “We sleep in different places. Also, we spent one night here too.”

“Well, that only proves my point.” Jon wasn’t sure what he proved. “It doesn’t matter where we are, we’re living together already. Don’t you see?”

“No,” he reluctantly answered. “I’m not following you at all.”

Her expression grew tender. “I’ve been wanting the same things as you, only I didn’t admit it. Here, or a tent, or another house, we’re together. We already told each other we don’t like spending our nights apart. I’m saying, for me, wherever you are, that’s the home we’re living in.”

“Oh.” Jon tried to think of a response, something equally pretty. “Shit.”

More giggles. “Not quite what I expected. It’s fine, you’ll get better.”

Jon looked away from her to stare into the fire. It’s heat was almost more than he could stand. “I’m trying to show you I’m all in with us. If you’d rather we live with your mom and Robb and Margaery, we can do that too. I don’t care.”

“We’re going to make a life together, Jon. This world is a harder place than it once was. I’m determined we find every bit of joy in it we can. This is our home. Sometimes though, I’ll want to be over with my mom and my friend. When I do, will you come with me?”

“You know I will.” His chest felt tight. “Does this mean you forgive me then?”

“If you’re talking about Ygritte, I believe you. There is nothing to forgive. If you mean the rest, well, I won’t lie. It still hurts and I think that pain will be with me for awhile. One emotion doesn’t preclude the other though, does it? Even if it takes some time for the pain to fade completely away, that doesn’t mean we can’t be moving forward, if we both want it. So, I forgive you, Jon.”

“Is it rude to say thank you?” Sansa looked ready to laugh again. He took her amusement with him as another good sign. “It’s a serious question. You’re obviously better at relationship etiquette than I am. Is it rude?”

“Saying thank you when it’s truly meant is never rude.”

“Then thank you. I’d say I’m a changed man but as you’ve pointed out, my fashion sense and lack of polish pretty much shows I’m not. I am in love with you though, Sansa Stark, deeply in love with you.”

“I’m in love with you, Jon Snow.”

“I want us to get married someday too. Should we talk about that tonight or do you want to wait?” Jon desperately hoped she would agree. There would not be a wedding, not like the one she probably dreamed of once. There would be no grand reception or party with flowers and a live band. They couldn’t afford the waste. Still, he wanted to give her some small part of that fantasy, if possible.

“I think we are married, in a way. Don’t you? I mean, would you call us boyfriend and girlfriend?” No, he wouldn’t. “If we were to have some sort of ceremony, when would you want it?”

“Tomorrow,” he blurted out. His answer surprised her. “Or, when you want….no..scratch that, I’m sticking with my original answer. Tomorrow. Ideally, at dawn but I’m flexible.”

“Okay. Get a ring and I’ll take care of the rest.”

He shot up. “Shit. You’re serious.” Jon had expected her to refuse or tell him to wait.

Sansa’s face fell. “Aren’t you?”

“Yes, completely and utterly. I just didn’t think it would be so easy.” He even had an idea for the ring. “Are we done with our talk now? This is my first ‘where is the relationship going’ talk so any guidance you can offer is appreciated.”

“Yes. We have reached the end of our talk.” Sansa turned over, settling with her hands behind her head. “We are now at the point where you stand up and strip while I lay back and watch.” Her tongue peeked out. He started getting hard.

“This is my favorite part of our talk.” Jon jumped up, stripping off his clothes as she ordered.

“Margaery was right. You do have a nice ass,” she teased.

“Thanks, I guess,” he said awkwardly. Her friend had embarrassed him that day, and left him more than a tad frustrated. Jon intended to remedy that soon. “Although, I really would prefer it if you appreciated me for my mind.”

Sansa giggled. “I appreciate you for a lot of things, Jon Snow.”

He stood over her, without so much as a stitch of clothing on. His cock was hard, jutting out in front of him. Jon gave himself a couple of quick strokes, enjoying the way her eyes widened as he did it. “You’re still dressed.”

“Am I?”

Jon covered her with his body, putting his weight on his hands and knees. “Yes, you are.” He pressed his lips to hers, keeping their kiss light and tender. Sansa’s hands stroked up his stomach to his shoulders and neck. “It’s your turn to strip, you know.” He went back to kissing her.

He felt her hands between them, fiddling with the buttons of her jeans. He moved to help and, somehow, Sansa’s clothes were removed as well.

“What would you have done if we were still back with the rest of my family?”

“Honestly, pretty much the same thing, except hope we were quiet enough.” He kissed a trail down her throat. “Then I’d prepare myself to avoid looking any of your family in the eye. It’s been days, I’m not sure I could keep myself away.”

“Good.” She pushed at his chest. “Lay down.” Jon did as told, and quickly, she was straddling  his hips. “Your farmer’s tan is gone.” She was disappointed. Sansa loved pointing it out for some odd reason.

“As soon as the sun returns long enough, I’ll work on getting it back for you,” he promised.

“You better.” Sansa’s fingertips grazed along his torso distractedly, as if she was deciding what to do next. She didn’t seem to be in a hurry either. “I love looking at you. Do you remember our first weekend together?”

“How could I forget?” A part of him still didn’t believe she’d agreed to come back to his place or to stay another day and another one after that. Jon gripped the top of her thighs. “I couldn’t figure out what I’d done to make you interested in me.”

“That’s funny. I couldn’t figure out what I’d done to make you interested in me,” she said quietly. There was tension in her voice, the earlier flirtation gone. Sansa sat up before slowly coming back down, impaling herself on his cock. Her lids fell shut as her head dropped back. “You always feel so good.”

A sound slipped from him, Jon thought it might have been a whimper. He felt desperate. He wanted to drive himself into her until she turned into a limp mass under him. Instead, Jon seized her hips to guide Sansa’s motions, matching her slow thrust for slow thrust.

Her breasts moved, sharing the same rhythm as their bodies. Jon reached up with his right hand, grasping one breast and thumbing its nipple before doing the same with the other. Sansa gazed down at him, her eyes half-lidded. Her mouth fell open.

“Come here,” he said. It could have been an order but Jon felt as if he was pleading.

She did as he wanted, falling down to rest on her forearms. Sansa playfully kissed the tip of his nose and then his lips. This kiss was unhurried too, the same as their lovemaking.

Jon stroked along her back before settling his palms at her hips where he squeezed the sweet flesh underneath. “I won’t last much longer,” he said gutturally. “Touch yourself.” Her fingers grazed along his stomach as she moved to stroke her center. Jon was getting close, he could feel the now familiar tightening in his balls.

He settled his hand over her nape and they kissed again, more urgent this time. Sansa’s hair fell around the two of them, creating a curtain that seemed to separate them from the rest of the world. Jon grunted but Sansa’s lips settled over his own, taking the sound away. “I love you,” she breathed against him. “I was in love with you from our very first kiss too.”

“Fucking hell,” he gulped. Jon kissed her desperately, one last time, as he spilled in her. “I love you too.” Sansa laid on him contentedly. He felt his cock turn soft and slip out of her.

“Let’s stay down here, by the fire light.”

Jon felt the heat on his shoulders for the first time, they were practically burning. “Good idea.” Besides, the rain couldn’t be heard from this room. “We can sleep in tomorrow before work tomorrow if we want.”

“Is that a hint?”

Jon looked down to find a pair of blue eyes staring up at him. Sansa flashed a relaxed half-smile. “I think we both need it, don’t you?”

“Yes, we do.” Sansa moved, sitting up next to him. “It’s late and don’t tell me the time because I don’t want to know. Let’s eat our pie and do something normal, like couples did before the end of the world.”

It was almost eleven but if she didn’t want to know he wouldn’t say a word. “You want to play a board game? Naked board game with pie.” He liked the idea.

“That’s perfect.” Sansa stroked his cheek. “It’s important we do this. We need to be normal sometimes.”

He nodded, Jon was mostly certain he understood the point she was making. “You pick the game and I’ll get the pie.” He stood up, feeling both giddy and hopeful.

“Another rule,” she called out as he left the room,” we only talk about unimportant stuff.”

“Good rule,” he answered back. Jon grabbed the bottle of wine too. They were doing without most of the wedding trappings. No rehearsals or engagement parties, but they were still celebrating.

 

_A month since the comet’s accident. It drifted on in space, smaller and weaker than before._

_It destroyed forests and cities, rivers and deserts. Still, the comet was not completely successful._

_In Dorne, young lovers kissed for the first time. Far away in the Vale, a family celebrated their daughter’s tenth nameday. In the Riverlands, next to a newly created ocean, several families joined together to start a new community of their own. Further north, two strangers met on the road, sharing a meal together and becoming friends._

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a "wedding" next chapter but probably not what you think. A time jump is coming soon too.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant this to be up a day earlier but didn't quite meet that goal. Also, this chapter has a line from Lucifer's Hammer. It chilled me when I first read it, still does.

**_Five weeks after_ ** **_Hammerfall_ ** **_….._ **

Sansa woke to discover she was alone and the embers from the previous night’s fire had died out. The house was quiet; it felt empty. If there was rain, she couldn’t hear it. If it was morning, she couldn’t tell that either. She dressed quickly and went in search of Jon.

She’d long thought Jon’s property resembled the sort you would see in movies, the ones with a loner hero who’d stand on the verandah to gaze at the horizon, brooding over their angst and tragedy. Sansa also acknowledged she had a sometimes flair for the dramatic. Still, he’d lived in the house his whole life, other than the four years he served in the Night’s Watch. It was an old farmhouse, two stories, gabled windows, fading white paint, and a wraparound porch. It was also the sort of house that needed a family in it. His land also featured a guest house, barn, empty stables, a workroom, and garage. Two of those buildings were unused, every animal he owned had been taken for slaughter.

“I knew I’d find you here.” He stood next to a wire fence, staring out over the west field behind the house.

“They took my cows. I’m guessing Arya came straight over here after we left.” He picked up a small stone, dull grey with drops of moisture on it, and threw it into the field. It landed with a barely heard thump.

Less than twenty head of cattle, enough for Jon to play but that was about it. “I’m sorry.”  Sansa felt the tips of his fingers graze hers. She grabbed them and squeezed. “When does the plowing begin?”

“The fields need to be cleared first, and I just added another rock to the job. Not until the spring. Not here at least.” Jon picked up another rock and threw it.

Soon, workers would come and begin the back-breaking task of clearing the land of rocks and stone so horse-drawn plows could come through. The workers would be drawn from amongst the refugees currently housed at the local school. Sansa didn’t know where they would be living permanently yet. “Are you hungry?”

“I saw Sam and Gilly a few minutes ago. We’re eating with them before heading into town. I figured you wouldn’t mind.” Jon turned away from the field as if to consciously dismiss it from his thoughts. “We’re still doing this today, aren’t we?”

“If by ‘this’ you mean making our marriage official then, yes.” She pulled him towards the Tarlys. “Let’s eat and go into town.”

Jon didn’t move. “Not yet. I’m kissing my bride first.” He grabbed her waist and dragged her close until their bodies touched. They kissed, tender and slow. “Now we eat.”

“It’s not raining.” Wonder filled her at the realization. It wasn’t the first or even the third time the rain ceased to fall but it never mattered, whether for three minutes or thirty she felt the same sense of wonder. “We’re going to live, you know.”

Jon stared down at her, his expression blank. “You make me believe it.”

Less than an hour later, they were gathered at City Hall. Wintertown had changed considerably over the past several weeks. Superficially, it looked much the same, a main street with the usual assortment of shops and a few parking spaces paralleling the sidewalks. A person blinks though, and the changes become apparent. The parking spaces were empty now, other than vehicles owned by those privileged enough to have gas still available. That meant Jon and her brother, Dr. Luwin, and the police force. Now bicycles lined the streets. Across from city hall, a small horse stable stood to protect animals from weather and rain.

There were other changes too, though more subtle. The gas pumps at the station were idle as they forever would be. The attached auto garage was being turned into a machinists shop. The small hotel parking lot was empty too, other than a few abandoned vehicles. It did not serve tourists or visiting family but was taken over by Jon as barracks to house the men who worked for him. Hot Pie’s Diner no longer served customers. It was now the town’s cafeteria, cooking and providing meals to those who did not live with kitchen facilities. The grocery was now a distribution center with a rotating guard duty. Any attempts to steal from it was a crime that meant automatic banishment. So far, no theft had been attempted.

“What exactly are you planning?” They were in his office with the door closed. Jon was rifling through his desk drawers looking for something.

“For our wedding? Nothing at all. We sign a marriage license.” It wouldn’t be fair to demand anything more, no one else would be granted an exception. She wouldn’t either. Sansa has already done it once to rescue Margaery. “Then we go home.” She’d hoped to take a few days for some sort of honeymoon but that was not to be either. Sansa gave up that dream the moment they crossed the threshold into city hall and she heard the activity.

“That’s it? I figured we would have a celebration with your mother and the rest of the family at least.” Jon was disappointed but whether that was directed towards himself or their situation, she didn’t know.

“I want more of last night, that’ll be enough.” Jon would be leaving again soon, she wanted every moment she could get. One dream of hers came true though, Sansa hadn’t given up everything. Jon had come to her and rescued her as a knight in shining armor would. It was a little girl’s dream, but it was hers. Then, she’d spent the next several hours deliberately annoying him. “I wish we’d eaten all those donuts. We should have stuffed our faces until we were sick. We should have eaten twice as many and ice cream too.”

Jon leaned back against the desk’s edge with his arms crossed, listening to her complaints. “I agree with you. Easily one of my worst decisions.” He slowly smiled, soft and comforting. He understood. Then the smile disappeared and what Sansa would call his I’m-In-Charge expression was back. Their love lives were on hold again. “Town meeting first and then a more private one. I’d like you at both.”

The second is where important decisions would be made. “Is the private one where you plan leaving again?”

“Among other things.”

“Why do you want me there?” Sansa intended to go either way, but she was curious what he’d say.

“I need the support.”

Supporting her soon-to-be husband and blind agreement were not the same things. “I’ll do my best.”

“Then we get married.” Jon stopped short and his face twisted with consideration. “I want witnesses.”

Sansa snorted. “How about a dowry and a shotgun too?” Jon’s face fell. She’d missed his meaning entirely. It was for her, not him. “We’ll find a couple people,” she said solemnly.

The town meeting would take place in the library again as all of them did. There was a certain routine to them now that somehow established itself over time. Robb and Jon sat at a head table as they always did, accompanied by or two of their retinue. Today, that was Sam and Edd, his deputy. It reminded Sansa of a royal family presiding over their kingdom somehow. The law and justice are what they decided, as long as they fed and cared for their people, of course. Sansa wondered what would happen if Sam’s calculations for winter needs came up wrong. She shook her head, refusing to think about it.

It was the same mix of people every time, the high lords who would carry news back to their people. None of the refugees were present, she noted. That worried her. The familiar smell was back, the musty comfort of old books and lamp oil. The scent of humanity was stronger than it was in the early days. People chose to bathe less, and the clothes had a used, unwashed look to them. Some wore hair that had a distinct shine to it. Deodorant, she realized, people were running out of deodorant. It was a simple thing one didn’t think about until it was gone. Supply runs were taking place but no effort would be spent on that particular item. Sansa wondered if she smelled as bad. She didn’t want to know.

Jon had a chair ready for her, Sansa considered and then decided to stay towards the side. It was easier to watch expressions and bodies when she wasn’t trapped behind a table.

“You disappeared last night. I hope you enjoyed yourself.”

It was Margaery. She smiled, glad her friend was there with her. “I could ask the same of you.”

Margaery put an arm around her waist to pull her close. “I started to use your bed and then decided to tell your brother I was afraid of the dark. He was very comforting.”

Sansa laughed hard enough to make her shoulders shake. She didn’t particularly want to talk about that part of her brother’s life but she wanted them together too. Robb stared at the two of them and she could almost make out his pinkened cheeks through the dim lantern light. “A perfect gentleman. You’ll have him wrapped around your finger soon.”

“Honey, he’s already wrapped.”

Rickard Karstark entered the room and Sansa forgot any further conversation. She’d not seen him since the initial meeting when his son pronounced their plan theft. They’d not contributed so much as a cup of rice to help others and, to her knowledge, no assistance had been offered them either. The Karstark clan was truly an island in the middle of Winterfell. Jon’s expression was part snarl and part revulsion. It reminded her of his reaction to the drunken man they’d encountered before crossing the dam. He regarded Karstark as a nuisance, nothing more. Robb seemed curious but there was no warmth in his eyes or the set of his mouth that she could detect. The room was silent.

“Who is that?”

Sansa quickly explained to Margaery before the meeting was called. It began with the chocolate bars for the current week’s rat killer. She understood the reasoning behind the prize but the idea of it still caused some level of disgust. After that, the updated counts of animals slaughtered meat preserved. Their stores of salt were almost gone, that wouldn’t continue much longer.

The greenhouses were next. Sansa had suggested Robb go over these in detail. Greenhouses meant food and surviving winter. It needed to seem not only ambitious but successful. The idea had come from Sam Tarly and agreed to almost immediately. They were already appearing at the Glovers and Cassels, families extremely loyal to the Starks and Snows, she’d noted. The houses were simple wood frames covered with plastic drop cloths, the kind found in any hardware store. Nylon cord was used to secure the plastic from the wind. They were fragile and wouldn’t last a year. Secretly, Sansa thought it was possible a fair number wouldn’t last the winter. It didn’t matter though, they only needed to survive one season. Those already built had pits for manure. People would be sleeping in them too. The hope was that between those two and grass clippings, the rot would give off enough heat during winter. So they all hoped. If they were wrong, well, Sansa didn’t want to think on that.

Through it all, Sansa snuck regular peeks at Rickard Karstark. He was growing anxious, standing alone at the back of the room. His arms were crossed over his chest with legs spread. This wasn’t a man ready to grovel. He had another goal.

“Do you see anyone appearing sympathetic towards him?” she asked her friend.

“No. Curiosity and well...anger maybe.”

Three refugees were presented, seeking asylum. Once had carpentry skills and was invited to stay. The other two were granted a meal and instructions to leave directly afterward. The floor was opened after that.

Rickard Karstark marched determinedly to the front of the room. “My younger boy is sick. It’s a bad fever and getting worse.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that,” said Jon. His right hand slid under the table. It’d be balled into a fist, she knew. Sansa hoped it stayed there.

Robb’s lips drew into a hard flat line but he stayed quiet. Their father had raised all of them, but Robb in particular, to feel a great responsibility for the people in the area. He’d not given up a chicken farm as Maege Mormont had but the gray hair appearing along his temple told Sansa something else. Her brother was likely giving up years of his life to help people. Rickard Karstark threw all of that in his face.

“He needs medication and a doctor.”

“There is a hospital less than an hour north of here, assuming you still have the gasoline to make the drive,” said Jon.

“Mr. Karstark, we made an offer that you rejected. Theft disguised as communism, I believe it was. Everyone else here paid that price. You did not.” Robb looked over the room and noticed Maege Mormont. “Maege offered up her farm in exchange for her daughter’s medication. What are you offering?”

“So, you’ll let a boy die?” Karstark shook his head. “Your father would be ashamed if he saw you here today.”

“You’re offering nothing then?” Jon turned his attention to the room. “Anyone here want to speak on his behalf?” He spoke loudly, wanting to make sure everyone heard.

Silence. A few people stared at the floor guiltily. Maege Mormont made no effort to hide her disdain. A small woman but frightening.

“Is no one going to say a word?”

“People are frightened,” Margaery whispered, “and selfish.”

She wasn’t. “Perhaps he could bring his son to Dr. Luwin for a short visit?” Eddard, if it was Eddard, was truly a young boy. It didn’t seem right for him to pay the price for his father’s stubbornness.

“One visit,” said Robb. “and you bring him. We aren’t spending our resources to do it.”

Jon leaned forward in his chair. His hand was still under the table too. “If you want anything more than that, the original agreement applies.”

“You’ll also be required to place greenhouses on your property and be responsible for maintaining them.”

“Along with a family member to provide assistance elsewhere,” finished Jon. He meant a hostage.

“I’ll bring my son tomorrow.”

Robb frowned sharply and shook his head. “Mr. Karstark, let me be clear. This offer will not be extended to you again.” He chewed the edge of his lips making Sansa wonder how difficult this was for him. “Any further request for help will be refused.”

“You’ve made that clear. I’ll bring him tomorrow.” He turned and left the room without another word.

“He’ll kill his family over pride,” mumbled Margaery.

Sansa suspected he was clinging to some fear that giving up what little he had would ultimately hurt his own family. It was irrational but not prideful. “Perhaps.” The rest of the meeting passed quickly and ended soon after. This was her wedding day, she thought with disappointment. She would have the night, it would be enough. “Margaery, will you be our witness?”

“He asked, huh? I might still be jealous. That ass will be in my dreams for a long time.”

Sansa giggled over her friend’s deliberate attempt at levity. “You managed to embarrass him. I didn’t think it was possible.”

“These two could do with some embarrassment. Your brother needs to laugh more.”

Jon pulled her aside as soon as the room cleared. “Why didn’t you sit beside me?”

“I’m more useful elsewhere.” She leaned into him even though there was no one to hear. “Karstark is going to do something stupid soon.”

“Is that why you offered him help?” Jon hadn’t appreciated her effort then.

“We need to remember to show kindness sometimes.”

He appreciated that sentiment even less. “Your brother and I are only thirty, Sansa. We’re giving orders to people twenty and thirty years older than us. If we allow one person to ignore the rules then it’s easier for the next person to do the same. It only takes a few people and this falls apart.”

Sansa didn’t have an answer to that so she decided to ignore it. “Well, he’s going to do something stupid.” That wasn’t much of an answer. “Shall we get this over with?”

The small conference where she’d first reunited with Robb was where the real decisions were made. It was the room used to hash out the greenhouse plans and deciding when refugees were admitted. It was the room where Sansa’s presence mattered.

It was the map on the wall that first drew her attention. A giant map of the north with every town, regardless of size, every lake and stream, and every landmark she could think of identified and labeled. It was easily one of their most important records. It was covered with pushpins and post-it notes to track and record all information gleaned from refugees.

“I brought my list again,” said Sam. “If we wait until spring it will be too late.”

“It’s risking a lot of men and most of our gas for items we won’t need for a very long time,” said her brother.

“Perishable items,” Sam pointed out. “Transistors, components, electric motors.”

“None of which we need right now. If we don't get the greenhouses built and the fields cleared, none of this matters,” interrupted Robb. “We’ve all heard the reports of snow in the mountains. Davos, have you ever heard of snow in the mountains this early?”

Davos Seaworth was the oldest person in the room and one of the few town council members both Jon and Robb respected. Jon has once described him as a perfect XO, whatever that meant. “Not that I can recall.”

“There we go.”

Sam ignored them both. “Lathes, drill presses, electric wire, electric tape, bearings, spare parts.”

“That’s enough, Sam. We get it,” said Jon. His expression was shuttered and he stared right at her.

Sansa didn’t know what half the items Sam listed were and even less idea of what any of them did. “What about next spring? And the year after and the year after that?”

“Davos, give us the trade-offs,” ordered Jon.

Mr. Seaworth was the one responsible for detailed tracking of fields cleared, houses built, seeds planted, stores built. Sansa didn’t envy him the responsibility. “It really depends. We need more fields cleared before the weather turns cold. If you bring back enough material to make more houses, then we don’t need to worry about fields. Same for fertilizer and animal feed.”

“It’s a risk then,” she said. “It could be worth it though if it made our future easier, better.”

“I’m not agreeing to anything until we do another patrol sweep. I want an idea of what’s near our borders before we go out there,” said Jon. He wanted to know if there were more strays like that solder, or perhaps his former brethren, coming towards them. Sansa wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Some of the refugees were eager to scoop manure into pits if it meant staying.

“About that. Maybe this is nothing but maybe it is.” Edd scratched at his hair, frowning glumly at all the focus on him. “We aren’t getting people from the south anymore. Those three today? From north of us.”

“Maybe it’s those signs you put up?” asked Margaery. It was the first time she’d spoken. “They almost scared me away.”

Jon smirked. Sansa thought he looked a tad too pleased with Margaery’s statement. He’d arranged for several to be put up on the outskirts of the county and all bore similar messages:

DANGER. THIS IS GUARDED LAND. IF YOU HAVE BUSINESS HERE, APPROACH WITH YOUR HANDS OUT. NO WARNING SHOTS WILL BE FIRED.

She’d argued against their use, fruitlessly as it turned out. Jon had reminded her he couldn’t save the world and that was the end of it.

“Locusts,” said Jon, staring intently at the map on the wall. “Edd, what about the perimeters? Are you seeing anything on roads? Cars or bikes maybe.”

“No. Yesterday was our fourth day without a sighting. There’s usually some stragglers walking the kings road or driving along the highways. Four days and not a single person.”

Sansa remembered the first time he mentioned locusts, it was the morning after the comet fell. She looked at the map, as Jon still did. Sea Dragon Point was gone now, washed out to sea. The valleys in the barrowlands, some of the very ones they’d driven through were now lakes with all the towns underwater. White Harbor was gone. The Three Sister Islands, Stony Shore, and Widow’s Watch were gone too. The lands around Broken Branch and the Fever Rivers were half flooded. “They’ll look at a map,” she said breathlessly.

Jon followed her. “The same as I did.”

Winterfell was far from the ocean or major rivers. It had forests for hunting, land for farming, and springs to provide fresh water. Locusts don’t come in twos and threes. “They come in swarms.” That deserter who took their food had warned them away from the south. “We have an army coming our way, don’t we?”

“I think it’s time to prepare for war.”

Sansa listened as Jon, Robb, and Edd argued over their ammunition and gun supplies. She didn’t know anything about that and didn’t want too.

“We could put maybe three hundred people in the field. Ill-trained and poorly armed.”

“Maybe we need to head north ourselves.”

“Are there paint stores nearby? A swimming pool supply store too,” Sam said quietly. The other men ignored him.

“What do those stores have?” Margaery asked.

“Grease solvent too if we have that.”

“Jon, I think Sam has some ideas we should be listening to,” Sansa said. “Go on, Sam. Can you explain about grease solvent, whatever that is?”

Sam sighed uncomfortably. “You probably won’t like it. Maybe it’s a bad idea.”

“If you know something, say it! We need ideas right now,” said Robb.

“You’ve probably already thought of it. Jon is the military guy so I’m probably wrong.”

“Gods, Sam,” Jon started.

A conversation in circles, she thought. “I’m not in the military and don't know the least thing about conducting a war. Will you help me understand what you’re asking?” Sansa asked sweetly.

Sam shrugged. “Bombs. Napalm. Mustard gas. I think I can make you nerve gas too if you want, but I’m not sure.”

“Fuck me,” Robb and Jon both said at once, speaking over the other.

There was a long silence and Sam’s expression went smug. “I do have one condition though,” he said under his breath.

Margaery cackled. “I like you, Sam Tarly.”

Thirty minutes later, their meeting was done to her great relief. “Your turn,” she told Robb, handing him a black pen. The four of them were in Jon’s office together to sign the marriage certificate.

“Is this really it?” he asked her.

“No, we have a couple more things to do.” As soon as the signatures were done, Robb placed one copy with the county records and promised to stay silent for a day so they could celebrate alone. Tomorrow, they would share the news with her family. The second copy was staying with them. “Don’t forget the rings.”

Holding hands, they walked across the street together to the town park and its bulletin board. Some of the same notices she’d first spied were listed, requests for spare parts and other odds and ends. She had a new sign to add.

Jon read her notice silently. “A wedding announcement?”

“Hope. Instead of a wedding, we can turn this into a message of hope,” she explained. “Did you notice everyone today? Worry for their families and whether there was enough food. Now, look at this. Snow and Stark, planning a future together. We need to find more things to celebrate.”

Jon’s gray eyes were warm, reminding her of when they first began their relationship. He wore that same expression then, his features softer and more relaxed. “You amaze me, do you know that? I have our rings. They were my parents; I hope that’s okay.” He hesitated towards the end and she didn’t know why.

Quickly, he put the ring on her finger. It was a simple gold band with a single square-cut diamond. “It’s perfect. This day is perfect, you know that right? I know it may not seem like it, but it is.”

Sansa started to lean in, wanting to snuggle against his chest, but he cupped her cheeks first. They kissed, the first one since signing the marriage certificate. There were no onlookers for it, only the two of them with the wind messing their hair and the rain drizzling down. Finally, they broke apart with their foreheads resting together. She felt giddy. “Are you ready to go home now?”

Jon snorted. “It’s cute that you think I want to wait that long. We have a couch thirty seconds from here.”

“You’re horrible,” she said but there was no bite to her words.

“Yeah, I’m pretty awful,” he agreed. “Before we go, I need to tell you something.” Jon pulled a sheet of folded up paper from his back pocket and began to pull it apart.

“Did you write vows?” They hadn’t discussed it and, frankly, she would not have guessed Jon to be the sort to think of it on his own.

“No, I didn’t,” he said, half chuckling. “I wrote this while you were still sleeping. It was my attempt to remember what we talked about last night.”

Sansa ripped it from his hands, curious. It certainly wasn’t vows, not in any sort of traditional sense at least. “‘Listen more. Be honest. Regular talks. Game nights.’ Can I keep it?” She traced some of Jon’s messy scrawl before folding it up so the rain couldn’t get to it. There was a certain realism to his list she preferred to anything she’d heard in a wedding ceremony before. It was simple, like the man Sansa now called husband, but it suited them both somehow.

“Do you promise to never show anyone?” She did. “Then you can have it. I wanted to tell you my first instinct when I realized what was coming, we can call it the locust army I guess. My first thought was to take you and leave.”

“Where would we have gone?”

“Mountains north of here. If I’m completely honest, a part of me is still thinking of doing exactly that. It’d mean leaving lots of people to their fate which I think would be worth it.”

“But you’re not going to?”

He didn’t answer right away. “No, we’re not going to.”

Sansa blinked, worried tears were starting to form. He was volunteering his thoughts without her asking first. “Let’s go start our married life together.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, we are going to see what the world is like outside Winterfell.


	17. Chapter 17

**_Six weeks after Hammerfall…_ **

 

“Thirty minutes.”

Sansa both relished and resented every one of those minutes. It wasn’t nearly long enough. They were alone in Jon’s office, the small space illuminated by a single dimly lit kerosene lamp. There was a strong chill wind outside in the pre-dawn darkness but they were cozy and warm, protected away from it. The weather shouldn’t be this cold, it wasn’t even October yet, but it was. 

She hugged the backpack she’d prepared for him only the night before. An irrational part of her said Jon couldn’t leave as long as it was not in his arms. “Does it have to be you?”

“I thought we were done talking about this,” Jon said. 

No, he’d announced they were done talking about it and assumed she’d agreed. They’d only been married a week. It was one thing to understand her new husband would need to leave soon. It was quite another to be in the middle of a goodbye. “I don’t want you to go.” She was being selfish. Jon was the one marching away from the safety of Winterfell while she was staying behind, tucked away from it all. Although, waiting was its own form of misery. 

“I don’t particularly want to go either. I’d rather we were still home in bed.” He grabbed her waist to deposit her on the desk’s edge. “Gotcha,” he said playfully. 

This was Jon’s way of ending the conversation, she knew. It was not the first time Sansa had asked the question but it needed to be the last. Jon would not send others if he wasn’t willing to go himself. He was also one of the very few who had the training to do what she suspected he planned to do. “I’d thought we would go to Braavos for our honeymoon when you get back.”  

The lines of frustration in his brow disappeared. She’d said the right thing then. “I still owe you a hot shower, remember? The two of us.”

Sansa snorted and rolled her eyes. “And the sun will return too.”

“Farmer’s tan, I haven’t forgotten.”

Jon thought she was teasing him over it but she wasn't. That tan reminded her of who she loved even if that was silly. “How much longer?”

He nuzzled at her neck and chin so his beard tickled her skin. Sansa’s head fall back and her lids closed. Jon's lips rubbed kisses along her cheek, moving slowly towards her mouth. “Twenty-six minutes. One last time?”

“One more time,” she corrected. 

“Good.” Sansa heard rather than saw the upzip of his jeans and then his hands were on her thighs. ”Let’s get these off.”

They both scrambled over the button and zipper of her pants until Jon was pulling them down her legs. “My boots,” she started. 

“I got them.” 

They would probably present an absurd image if someone were to interrupt them. Her socks were still on and both wore heavy shirts and jackets. “Is the door locked?”

“With a sock on the doorknob.” He grabbed her hips to move her to the desk’s edge. “Spread your legs.”

Jon cradled her cheeks and kissed her again. “We’re doing this in a bed next time,” she murmured against his lips.

He drew back. “You should know me better than that. Next time, we’re doing this wherever I see you first.” Jon entered her and she moaned. He thrust slowly as they kissed and clung to the other. Sansa didn’t want to let him go.

Jon broke away and his movements turned erratic and uncontrolled. She braced herself on the desk and shut her eyes, wanting to focus on the feel of him in her body. He grunted and went still before falling partway on to her. Sansa embraced him and he pressed his forehead to hers. 

“I love you,” he told her.

A sharp knock at the door stopped her replying. “If you two are done in there, it's almost time to go,” yelled Arya.

It wasn’t fair. Sansa grabbed both his cheeks, forcing him to meet her eyes. “You come back,” she said fiercely. “I don’t care what you have to do. I don’t care what it is. Come back.”

“I will. I promise.”

Sansa looked away and blinked rapidly. She would cry later that night when he was not there to witness it. This was not the first time Jon would be leaving the safety of Winterfell but she couldn’t lie to herself now. Her husband was doing more than visiting an abandoned grocery store or traipsing through empty forests. He was going in search of an army. “Say it.” She didn’t even know why she insisted, only that it mattered somehow. 

“I’ll come back.”

It was all she would get. “Let’s get dressed.” 

A few minutes later, they stood on the sidewalk outside City Hall. There were eight of them, led by Jon. His deputy Grenn, a Forrester man, Dacey Mormont, a couple recruits from the refugees, Loras Tyrell, and Arya.

“I’ll watch over him for you,” said her sister.

“It’s you I’m worried about.” Jon too but Sansa didn’t want to say that. She refused to project anything but confidence where others could see. 

Her sister leaned in close. “Watch over mom, will you? And my horses.”

“I will.” She hugged Arya goodbye and then there was nothing else to say. Her sister was eager to go and been one of the first to volunteer. Sansa couldn’t decide if she thought Arya foolish or if she envied her. They’d been married for only a week and taken a single afternoon to themselves for a honeymoon. Their only celebration was another dinner at the Stark home of chicken and canned green beans. Arya was seeking adventure. A quiet evening of board games was all the adventure Sansa wanted for the rest of her days. 

“A final goodbye for your husband?”

“You promised,” she blurted out. 

“And I’ll keep it,” he said solemnly. “Let’s go over this one more time. The radio?”

This was drilled into her. “We’ll be listening from five minutes before to five minutes after every hour. Channel thirteen. Assume someone is listening. No names or locations. Nothing about food or supplies. No defensive information.” She said it all by rote at this point. 

Jon frowned and wrinkles appeared on his brow. “The best shots in this town are the Cassels, Ned Dayne, Edd, and your brother. You know how to get into the armory. There is a two week supply of food hidden away-”

“I know. Enough for five people if we ration carefully.”

Jon shook his head ruefully. “How did I ever convince you to give me a second chance?”

“You didn't. I felt sorry for you,” she deadpanned. 

“Goodbye, Sansa.”

“I love you.”

There was nothing else to do. They climbed into a pair of trucks and drove away into the darkness. The sun had still not risen. Sansa kept her careful smile frozen on her face in case anyone noticed. She could weep to her heart’s content that night but she would not do it on the streets of Winterfell. Half of them would return with the truck and as much as they could scavenge from Sam’s supply list. Jon and the rest would not. 

“Loras is the last family I have left in the world.”

Sansa put an arm around her friend. “He’ll come back. “

Her friend chuckled joylessly. “He left because of me. Seems to think he can do more good out there than here with me.”

Jon certainly seemed to think so. Loras would be in the second group with Jon, scouting or spying, or whatever it was. “Let’s go inside.” There was a bite in the air but at least it wasn’t raining. That had to mean something.

Robb and Margaery went back inside and she followed a few steps later. Jon’s office felt empty although one of his half-empty bottles of water sat on the desk. Sansa laughed over it before gulping the remaining sips. Only a week of marriage and she was already thinking of creating a chore wheel for him. 

“There you are. Can I get you to help Sam with a few things?” Robb stared at her quizzically. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m going to sleep in my old room for the next couple of weeks,” she said. It was an answer, after all, if not a complete one. She was moping while Margaery’s last remaining family member left her. Jon tried to demonstrate his trust and faith in her every day and all she’d done was beg him to stay. Sansa grinned brightly. “Lead me to Sam.” She would cry later. 

“I don’t recognize half of this,” said Margaery bemusedly. She was already seated in the conference room next to Sam. The master list he kept carefully preserved in plastic was in her hands so only the top sheet was visible. “How did you think of all this?”

“I read a lot and my memory is good. Do you want to see them?”

Sansa wasn't following. “See what?”

“My books. Jon made me move them out of his living room. I’d demand he be arrested if he wasn’t already the sheriff.” Sam’s tone told Sansa he meant every word. Jon wasn’t much of a reader, a crime Sam probably considered a capital offense.

“What books?”

Sam only shook his head in frustration. “How can anyone not want to read them? I brought the future.”

“Can you show us?”

“I had to blackmail them to get our supplies.”

“Sam,” she snapped. “Can you show us your books?” Sansa asked, using a more gentle tone this time. He didn’t seem to notice either way. 

“Sure.” He led them to what she’d assumed was an abandoned supply closet or empty office. It was neither. “My books,” Sam said with pride after opening the door. “Jon thought this was a better place for them and I suppose he’s right.” The grudging sound to his voice told her he didn’t quite believe it. 

The three of them entered, with Margaery carrying one of the lanterns. She set it on the room’s lone table and picked up a book to read the cover. “ _ The Way Things Work Volume I.  _ Gods, Sam.”

Sansa picked one up, noticing it was wrapped in a couple layers of plastic. All of them were. “ _ The Beekeepers Manual. Hydroponic Gardening. The Complete Gunsmith. The Home Guide to Alternative Fuels. The Amateur Radio Handbook.” _ She put them down carefully and looked through the small office, trying to guess how many books it contained. A few thousand maybe, all stacked in boxes closely together. “What else?”

Sam scratched his beard, his whole body was buzzing with pride and excitement. “Repair manual for almost every make and model car. Veterinary handbooks. There’s an old book in there on how to make various household items like cleansers, soap, beer. Some on solar power and wind power. Blacksmithing. Several military and Night’s Watch field maintenance manuals. More.”

Margaery stared at him, dumbfounded. “How did you know to get this?”

He only shrugged his shoulders. “Every library is going to have the great works of literature. What does it matter if there is no one to read them? Or worse, no one that knows how to read? So, I started collecting. Each book is individually wrapped in heavy-duty plastic and placed in its own bag.”

Sansa collapsed to the floor next to the narrow space by the doorway. Jon never spoke a word. She wasn’t surprised, her husband would never be a great communicator. He was right though, none of this mattered if there was no one alive in the spring. “You brought our future, Sam.”

Margaery cackled. “You are a magician and a sorcerer.”

“You see why they had to go?” She did. “I felt bad about the blackmail but we need the supplies. I told them, bring me the stuff and I’ll make their bombs.” 

Sansa remembered very well. She’s been in the room and it was only a week ago. Sam had begged, not for the first time, that runs be organized for lathes and bearings and other things she didn’t recognize. This was why. She couldn’t blame him. If they wanted bombs, them Sam wanted his supply list. “I get it, Sam.” She did. Jon could help keep everyone safe but Sansa could help bring the future. She had some planning to do. 

*****

**_Seven weeks after Hammerfall…_ **

The seven hells were supposed to be hot, fiery pits of misery. Dragon fire and melted rock. Maybe that was true once but that was before the comet. Jon was sick of the wet and the damp, and the further south they went, the worse it got. He’d witnessed the initial tsunami and the falling dam. All of them had experienced the weeks of unceasing rain and yet the changing landscape shocked even him. 

Winterfell stood on the low foothills of a mountain range and was almost perfectly placed in the middle of the north. Jon had known they were damned lucky but he hadn’t understood how much for the first few days. Low lying areas were washed out or under water completely. Any hill, no matter the size, seemed battered and barren. Canyons, ditches, dips in the road: all filled with water. The highways they used were more like tiny concrete islands separated by even tinier oceans.  The land felt abandoned and empty. On occasion, they would spy candlelight or similar in a farmhouse. Once, they happened upon a ragtag group of people who’d set up a fishing camp next to one of the many newly formed lakes. There had been no sign of Jon’s locusts yet. And it was almost time for him to go seek them out. 

Their band, or fellowship as Grenn insisted on calling them, had spent their travels searching out the items on Sam’s list. It was an easy task to perform once the needed stores were located. However, in this strange new world, there was no internet to tell them where to find a pool supply store. No one carried phone books either which ticked him off. Jon always carried paper maps for a reason. He also kept current phone books in his kitchen for emergencies. 

“Last one. Time to go,” said Jon. They’d finished cleaning out a small hardware store after paying a visit to a paint shop earlier in the day. He didn’t even know the town’s name, only that it was located in a small valley. It stunk of rotting mud and every building seemed to be half-flooded. If there were people, he’d yet to see them. “Rifles out.”

“Jon, look over there.” Arya nodded down the street. “Grocery store. In this town, it might actually carry something besides rusted out cans.”

He stared, considering. A mom and pop grocery store, rather small. The mom and pop were probably dead though. “Grenn and Dacey, go clear. We’ll follow.”

They went in with flashlights on while the rest of them moved the trucks in closer with headlights on to shine into the store. 

“Clear,” Grenn yelled as they exited. “The rot is bad.” 

His fellowship had developed a number of words to describe what they saw. Rot, stink, odor, smell, but they all meant the same thing: dead bodies. Everyone grabbed a piece of cloth and sprinkled a few drops of gasoline. Jon covered his nose and the eight of them waded in. Someone behind him immediately started retching. 

“Let’s go to it,” Arya said before heading over to a nearby shelf and picking up a can of corn. “Rust. Dammit.” She chucked it into the water and kept going. Experience told them if one can was shot, the whole row usually was. 

A body floated past, a woman if the long hair was a clue. He wondered how Sansa would react. He could hear his wife’s voice in his head, “Her name was Jonelle. She loved to swim and secretly dreamed of being a playwright.” Either that or Sansa would convince herself it was a pine log and try not to see it. Jon didn’t care who it was, he pushed the body aside and started searching.

He shoved at the rotten contents of one shelf and found glass jars. “Pickles,” he called out. The Forresters started clearing them out. “Fucking pickles.”

“Jon, what are these things?” asked Grenn. The label had rotted away.

“Mushrooms.”

Grenn shrugged. “Better than nothing. I’ll start loading.”

There wasn’t much. People had been through the store already. The snacks and junk food were usually the quickest to go and most of the cans were already rusted. They found rotten stew and rotten soups. He stared at the bodies. There were too many of them, more than there should be. 

“They were trapped in here, weren’t they?” asked Loras.

Jon didn’t care. “Maybe. Let’s keep going.” His foot brushed against something in the water. They were all wearing open-toed sandals to protect their feet without ruining good shoes. “I brushed glass. Hold on.” He gulped in breath and dove for it. In the water, Jon reached out and felt glass. Bottles. Big bottles. He grabbed one. 

“Apple juice!!” Loras yelled. 

Everyone came running to pull them out. Almost thirty bottles netted from his toe stub. Some sardines, powdered Tang, and tomatoes were added to their haul and they were done. “Time to go. Let’s get warm.”

As they left the grocery store behind, Jon took a final glance back. The parking lot was full of cars. He could not have been the only one to have noticed the loaves of half-eaten bread and orange rinds. People had been stuck inside, waiting for a rescue that never came. It was the only way to explain so many bodies. We’re used to it, he realized. We don’t care. 

“What now, boss?” asked Grenn. 

They’d been up since dawn and exhaustion was etched into everyone’s face. “Sun’s going down. Let’s hide away.” Twenty minutes later, they’d pulled in back of an empty house and started to prepare for the night. Jon set up the radio. It was early enough, she might still be there. 

It was static, reminding him of the old AM radio stations at the edge of their coverage area. “Fellowship reporting in.”

“Hey...I mean...oops..hold on.” That would be Sam. He had yet to master the use of a radio. 

“Shire here. Status?” asked Edd. 

“Grocery shopping done. Kids are going home tomorrow.”

“I’ll let mom and dad know. Have you found our friends?”

“Negative. Will expand search tomorrow.”

“When will the kids arrive?”

Jon had no idea. They moved from one drowned shit hole town to another. “ETA two days. We’ll continue on. Planned return dates unknown.”

“How’s the weather?” How many dead? How many survivors? Those were the real questions.

“It was bad today. I’d hope we would go longer without rain.” Lots of dead. No survivors sighted. Jon pulled his hair back from his face. He’d not looked in a mirror since leaving Winterfell. That was probably a good thing. “Is my wife there?”

“It’s me. I’m here. Can you hear me?”

Jon closed his eyes to better picture her. Sansa’s hair would either be in a braid or pulled into a messy bun. He wondered if she had on one of his old shirts. “I’ve missed you. Are you alone?”

“No.”

“Everyone, get out,” he said nicely. 

“I would ask if that was necessary but I already know your answer.” Her voice was hollow but it helped. 

“It was necessary.” Jon didn’t need her in front of him to know she was rolling her eyes. He looked about to make sure he was alone. He didn’t want this overheard. “Tell me something.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Anything. It doesn’t matter. Let me hear your voice.”

“I’m reading a book about beer making. It’s easy to make, easier than I thought. The only problem is that I don’t like beer. What else? My mom is teaching indoor gardening methods and I think she enjoys it. Margaery and I painted our toenails last night. I know that isn’t important but it felt good.”

“What color?”

“Dark purple. It’s more dramatic than my usual choice but it was fun. I dreamed of us last night.” 

“What did you dream?”

“We were outside in the sun.”

They wouldn’t see the sun again until next spring, not with the weather turning cold. “I love your dream.” He would need to go soon. Battery power was not an unlimited supply.

“I love you ---” She’d been about to say his name. He almost wished she had. 

“I love you too. I have to go.”

“Okay. Get some rest. You’ll push yourself until you collapse. I should know, I’ve seen you do it.”

“I’ll be careful. Good night.”

“Good night.”

Jon stayed outside by himself for another minute. The rain had stopped. Sansa would say it meant something. 

The house itself was cement block and well constructed, it would easily outlast him. All the furniture looked to be thirty years old and pictures of children covered the walls. Grandparents lived there once. Everyone sat huddled in the main living room, talking quietly and eating the dried corn cakes made for them with scavenged food. 

“I should have checked if you wanted to talk to your sister,” he said, dropping to the floor next to Arya.

“Nah. You need time with your wife, newlyweds and all.” That was an excuse. If Arya spoke to family, it would be more difficult to avoid admitting she was lonely and miserable. 

“You can go back tomorrow if you want,” he offered. “If you don’t want to continue on.” Jon would miss her if she did. Arya was his family too. 

She shoved him. “You’d screw everything up if I wasn’t here.”

“Probably. That’s what Sansa told me in the beginning, come to think of it.” 

“Jon, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you,” she said, turning serious. Her voice lowered further as she continued on, “I think we need to start a spy network.”

“And you want to lead it?”

“Yes. I heard what happened with the Karstarks. The weather will get worse and people will start hoarding a can of corn or an extra ration of food or some found gas.”

Sansa would be horrified at the idea, claiming they needed to trust their neighbors. Robb already had enough burdens to worry about. Jon worried for his friend. “Keep it between us and report back to me. Got a deal?”

“Yes.”

The next morning, half of the fellowship returned to Winterfell with one of the trucks and all their gathered supplies. He climbed into their other vehicle, with Loras, Arya, and Grenn. “It’s time to go locust hunting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I agonized for a long time before posting this chapter because I was worried readers would be disappointed over Jon and Sansa being separated but there wasn't any way I could move this story forward without doing it. I tried to still make their relationship a central part of the chapter and am pretty pleased with how I handled it and hope you are as well. 
> 
> The good news is that the next chapter is mostly done and will have them reunited again so I expect have it posted within the week. The chapter after that will be only the two of them again which I'm really looking forward to writing. So, that's good......


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note: I uploaded Ch. 18 and Ch. 19 at the same time.

**_Eight weeks after Hammerfall….._ **

 

After the fellowship split in half, Jon took the four of them south, back towards Torrhen’s Square, retracing the same path he’d taken with Sansa only a couple short months earlier. He’d debated where to explore first. His intelligence was limited to scattered refugee reports, all of it three weeks old, and a single scattered conversation with a deserter. He’d ended up setting them towards the Night’s Watch base that lay west of the city. Travel was slow as they pilfered gas from the many abandoned vehicles they passed by and scavenged food from empty houses and stores. Their diet was cold soup, stale cereal, oatmeal and whatever else they stumbled upon. 

Jon had been tempted to drive through forest roads but decided against it. Forests made an ambush easier. There were only four of them, odds of survival would have been slim. So, they kept to the kings road which meant exposure but at least the same could be said of others. Every new town meant the same pattern: hide their vehicle, scout the edges, and find signs of life. Town centers were always empty. 

The barrowlands had been transformed into a different world, one he did not recognize. The lakes found closer to Winterfell were merely ponds. They were east of Torrhen’s Square now, or what was left of it, and Jon saw newly formed lakes everywhere. It could even have been the ocean’s edge, he had no way of knowing. Their current base was at the edge of an inland sea with waves over a foot high, dotted with small brown hills that had become islands. Treetops rose from the water in regular arrays where orchards or small copses once stood. Usually, one or two boats could be seen in the distance. Whoever they were, the occupants of those boats never came close enough for contact. 

“Only three targets this time. An old woman and what looks to be a teenage couple,” Grenn announced before going back to peering out of his binoculars. 

“They won’t fight back,” said Arya, almost dispassionately. It would disturb Jon if he didn’t also feel the same way. 

They were spying on a little cottage, more of a shack really, hidden a half mile back from the kings road and almost completely surrounded by oaks. It was the fourth time they’d come across the locust army. There was former Night’s Watch amongst their number, wearing faded black uniforms, but some of the military disciplines he would expect was gone. Jon noticed untucked shirts and lazy rifle holds too. The army also contained civilians but they were always dressed in rags but it wasn’t the worn clothes he saw in Winterfell. It was different, there was almost a performance quality to it he didn’t understand.

“Anything in the treeline?” he asked. 

“Same as before,” said Loras. “No one on patrol. No scouts. No one keeping watch.”

“They aren’t worried about it. They don’t care,” he mumbled. It was an even mix of Night’s Watch and civilian in this group, all working together to take out three. Each time, they never placed anyone on watch detail. Jon couldn’t decide if they truly didn’t think of it or if hubris told them it wasn’t required. “Any familiar faces in this group?” Jon pulled up his own set of binoculars to be sure but he didn’t recognize anyone. 

It was the same with the other three. 

“I’m calling it. The younger two will give in if it means saving their grandmother, or whoever she is,” said Loras. It’s what he would do, that went unsaid. Jon knew his friend was only with him now because he believed it would help keep his sister safe. It wasn’t a concern for the rest of the citizenry of Winterfell. 

He didn’t respond, choosing to watch the activity around the house instead. The teenaged girl was listening, almost enraptured, to whatever one of the raggedly-dressed men was saying. He was carrying a black leather-bound book in his hands and reading from it. The boy was crying. “Is that  _ The Seven-Pointed Star? _ ” he asked no one in particular.

“I think so,” said Grenn. “Is he preaching? Here? Now?”

If he was, it worked. The kids gave a hug goodbye to the old woman and climbed into one of the military vehicles. The motor started and it disappeared down the dirt roadway before the gunshot sounded. The kids’ gambit, if that’s what it was, had failed. The old woman was dead or would be soon enough. 

Jon sighed from a tiredness that was from more than poor sleep. This was the fourth time they’d found one of these bands and he was left with more questions than answers. The process was always the same, the locust army showed up and offered terms. The people could fight back, try to run away, or surrender but it didn’t matter. The outcome always ended with those targeted being taken away in military vehicles. Some, like today, went willingly. He didn’t know where. 

“Let’s go. There’s nothing else to be found here.” They would leave the shack alone with the old woman on the ground. Jon wanted no evidence of their existence to be found. “Make for camp and then continue on tomorrow.”

They returned to their campsite and a meal of canned sardines and soda crackers. It was not yet dark so he decided on a radio call-in to Winterfell. They did not risk fires where they were, not with the mysterious army’s whereabouts still unknown.

“Fellowship reporting in.”

“Shire here. Status?” It was Edd. It was almost always him or Davos. He suspected they arranged for one of them to be close by. 

“More friends located. They did not invite us home.”

“How’s the weather?”

“Light drizzle and then an angry storm.” The only dead was the old woman. They’d encountered enemies though. The storm would rage once they located the army’s home base, wherever it was. “Search for friends will continue.”

“I’ll pass the news on to mom and dad.”

“Is my wife available?” He’d not called in for two days or spoken to her in three.

The delay was too long. The silence too heavy. “Negative, sorry.” Jon would not get further explanations, not from Edd. His deputy was right to do so, no matter how Jon felt personally. 

“Understood. Fellowship out.”

He wrapped himself in a plastic tarp and did his best to get comfortable. They no longer bothered with tents. They stank of mildew and no one wanted to spend the effort on putting them up and taking them down. Tents also made them vulnerable. They talked quietly about nothing of consequence until it grew pitch dark.

The sky was clear the next morning. Sansa always reminded him it was a sign. She was right, it was a sign that it would start again soon. He stood at the lake edge but didn’t dare to stick so much as a toe in. The water was muddy and stank of rot and dead things. Not so far away, he could see a doll bobbing along the surface. A mop of blond hair floated nearby. The carcasses of family pets and cattle could be seen too. 

The old rag doll made him think of the car accident only a couple hours after the comet fell. All he’d seen was an arm and a pink shirt. Jon missed his wife even as he felt grateful she wasn’t there. 

“Where we going next?” asked Arya. She’d silently creeped up next to him. His little sister was one of the very few who ever managed that feat. She could be as silent as a shadow when she wanted too.

“North. Staying west of the kings road.” It was a hunch but it was all they had. Jon noticed the previous day which way the military vehicles turned after leaving that old woman behind. Left, not right. “They’re north of us.”

“What do we when we find them?”

“Find someone and ask them over for a friendly chat.” He messed her hair. Arya’s braid was mostly for show. It was dirty and matted from their travel. “Let’s get going.”

*****

Sansa’s count yielded 3126 books that Sam brought with him to Winterfell. The first day, she’d been overwhelmed with all the knowledge they contained. Her excitement waned somewhat when she asked if he had  _ The Way Things Work Vol. 2. _ Sam had only smiled apologetically and waved towards the many towers of books. “I remember buying it and the next volume too,” he’d said. 

She’s set herself on the task of cataloging and organizing the book collection the very next day. Sansa didn’t intend to read them all but she wanted to know the inventory as intimately as Sam. She didn’t dispute his memory, it was his ability to share the information that worried her. Sansa had spent as much time as she could spare over the past week creating a card catalog. After that, she wanted to start spring planning. Sansa didn’t know what that meant exactly, but she intended to do it. 

“Sansa, we have a family asking for asylum.” It was Edd. He was always ill-at-ease in her presence. She couldn't figure out why he told her.

“Can you let Robb know?” She set the book back in its box and stood. “Where are they from?” The south, she hoped. They were more likely to be asked to stay if they could yield up more intelligence. 

“North.” His face tensed up and she started to guess he was going to apologize. “Your brother isn’t here. It’s falling on me this time.”

Deputy Edd Tollett didn’t want to be the one to turn away a family. That’s what he meant. “Lead me to them.” She didn’t either although Sansa knew the questions to ask. Where are you from? What did you do before? Have you killed anyone? Why?

They were in the library, or the throne room as she sometimes sarcastically called it. All the shelves were shoved against one wall and a large table permanently sat at the front of the room. Sansa ignored it. 

It was a family of four, weary with hunger in their eyes. The mother held a toddler in a sling while a little boy clung to his father’s hands. 

Sansa smiled, as friendly and open as she knew how. They did not respond. “Where are you from?”

“An hour or so northeast of Deepwood Motte. The weather was turning cold,” said the mother.

Cold weather and they were out of food. “How did you find Winterfell?”

The couple exchanged glances but it was the husband who answered this time. “Luck. We saw the signs warning us away but...this is the first place we’ve seen that had any sort of defense.”

Jon would coldly remind her they could not save everyone. Robb would only review their stored provisions and consider the cost of four more. It didn’t matter, she decided, they weren’t here. No one was there to stop her from ignoring the rules. “Along with food for everyone. Edd, can you lead Mr. and Mrs.---” She stared at the couple, waiting.

“Bole. I’m Willam and this is my wife Lyanne.” 

“Mr. and Mrs. Bole are the newest citizens of our town. Will you take them to the school?” Sansa didn’t dare glance at Edd. “We’ve got food and beds for you. It will take a day or two but permanent arrangements are next.” She considered asking about their skills but quickly changed her mind. It didn’t matter. She was going to save them and there was no one to stop her. Edd stared and she stared back, daring him to challenge her, but he kept his silence. “If we have anyone else, I’ll see to it from now on.”

Sansa stayed only long enough to give another welcome and to make sure Edd would follow her instructions before heading back to her books. 

“How’s the weather?” 

She stopped in the hallway at hearing Davos Seaworth’s question. It was Jon. Sansa forgot all about her books and stepped into the conference room. She’d not heard Jon’s voice in four days.

“Dry.”

“Have our friends been located?”

“Negative. Search continues.” Sansa held out her hand, silently asking for the radio and waited for the question she knew was coming. “Is my wife there?”

“She is.” Her heart was thumping. Davos silently left the room, shutting the door behind him. “I’m alone.”

The scratchy signal and then him. “I’ve missed you,” he said voice lowering and the tone changing from impersonal to intimate. 

Sansa smiled into the empty room, even though there was no one to see her. It was easier to add cheer to one’s voice with a smile and she refused to so much as hint at her misery. Jon had enough to worry over, there was nothing he could do for her. “Same. I was just thinking of you.” 

“Talk to me. Tell me how you are.” He asked for this every time and it always made her wonder and worry. 

“I played Spades last night after dinner. We should do that sometime. We could be in tournaments together.

“We’d win every game. Let’s do that. What else?”

“I’m reading how to make wine now since I like wine better. Only we don’t have grapes.”

“I forgot to put them on my list. Sorry.”

“I’ve started to make an orchard.”

“Those are for apples.”

“A grapery then.”

“I’m not sure that’s a word.” His voice was lighter than earlier. 

Sansa had one more piece of news for him, the most important of all. “Do you remember the notice we put up? People are leaving us little congratulations all around it. There are some engagement notices too and a new baby.”

Jon sighed into the radio but stayed quiet. Had she misjudged? Sansa had guessed he would enjoy that. “What’s wrong?”

“Tell everyone thank you for me. When I come back, we’ll plan a night for being a normal couple.”

“I can’t wait.”

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” 

He was gone. Sansa sat alone for a minute and wiped her eyes before returning to work. Her smile was gone.

**_Nine weeks after Hammerfall…_ **

Sansa looked through the sheets of paper, trying to make sense of the different scrawls on each one. They were progress reports from the different farms on the winter gardens so far. As best she could tell, construction was going faster than estimated. “Starvation is a strong motivator,” she muttered. 

“What?” asked Sam.

“Does this change your projections?”

He ripped the paper from her hands. “Give me thirty minutes.”

Sansa wanted to giggle. Sam could ramble but put a puzzle in front of him and his ability to focus was a fascinating thing to watch. 

“Excuse me. Sansa, we’ve got another one. Came from southeast of us,” Edd said, interrupting any further conversation. “There’s only one thing.”

“South?” That intrigued her. “What’s the one thing?”

“He’s wearing a Night’s Watch uniform.”

“Let’s go. Keep working, Sam.” If he heard, Sam gave no sign. 

She’d taken this responsibility ever since the Bole family a week ago. Sansa had learned afterward that Lyanne Bole had been a Doula at one point and she felt a certain smug satisfaction over it. Robb and Jon would have turned the family away and she’d found a woman who was now serving as a maternity nurse. Since then, they’d taken in a couple more families. Once, a single man came to Winterfell, trying to find his sister. She’d offered him refuge too but he’d accepted only a meal and an overnight stay before moving on. 

Sansa stared at the former Night’s Watch member. His uniform was faded and there was a tear in his pants now. The beard hid his features but Jon’s jacket gave away his identity. Sansa whispered a quiet, “Stay here, please,” to Edd.

“Hello. We didn’t get a chance to properly introduce ourselves the first time. My name is Sansa.” She offered her hand but he didn't take it. Instead, he kept on picking at his jacket’s zipper pull. 

“Gared.”

She wondered how Jon would react if he saw Gared again. Not well, not well at all. It didn’t matter, he wasn’t there and neither was Robb. It was her decision to make. “How did you find Winterfell, Gared?” He’d been wondering the woods south of Winterfell but that was over a month ago.

“I don’t know,” he said, making it sound half a whisper and half a whine. 

Frightened and broken. Sansa wondered if he would react at all if she were to point a gun at him. “Let’s sit down, shall we?” Edd silently followed. Jon trusted him, she reminded herself. Sill, instinct told her Gared wasn’t a threat, at least not a direct one and not to her. “Do you remember warning us not to go south? I’d like to know why.”

“My corporal is south of us. Him and all the others. You don’t want to go there.” Sansa remembered the manic energy in him from the first time they met. It was gone now. There was still something wrong with him though.

“How many others?”

“Hundreds. Him and the ones who call themselves warrior’s sons. And the sparrows too, they bring them in.”

“Edd, will you get us some food to eat?” she signaled. Sansa had never used it before, she’d never thought she would need to. “Bring who in?” she asked Gared.

“Everyone we find.”

“What happens if someone doesn’t want to be brought in?”

“They always do once they know.”

Sanasa wanted to ask but she thought she knew the answer. She knew what was wrong with Gared now. His army gave people a choice that wasn’t a choice at all. He’d eaten and he’d forced others to do the same. Still, she had to ask. “What is it they learn?”

“Their fate if they don’t join. They watch the eating.” The jumpy fear was back. “They see what happens to them. I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t.”

“I believe you.” She had no idea what else to do or say. Gared could not leave, she didn’t know what he might do. She also could not allow him to stay in Winterfell, that was a different sort of danger. It was an effective recruitment tool and a very cruel one. Once a person takes that step, they don’t belong anywhere. “Gared, would you like to stay here in Winterfell? We have plenty of food for those who work. We need help planting for winter crops.” Sansa babbled on for another minute or so and thought she saw hope peeking out from behind his beaten-down expression. 

It didn’t matter what he wanted. Edd reappeared with a couple of his fellow deputies. Quicker than either of them could react, Gared was in handcuffs with a pistol pointed at him. He offered no resistance. She wondered if he’d been expecting it from the beginning. Silently, Sansa prayed to the gods to forgive her. He wasn’t a criminal, merely broken. She pitied him and she was going to use him. “Put him in the jail.”

Sansa followed behind, watching as he was thrown into the town’s sole jail cell and the metal bars shut behind him. “I’m sorry, Gared. You don’t deserve what’s happened to you.” He didn’t answer, choosing to lay on the small cot instead.

Edd followed her to Jon’s office so they would not be overheard. “Shit. I’m not lucky enough to be their first meal either.”

She wasn’t in the mood to listen to his dark humor. “Find Robb and Davos and get them back here as quick as you can. Who let him in?” 

“The Cassels.”

“Make sure they don’t mention him to anyone either.”

Alone, Sansa made her way to the conference room with its radio and shut the door. She powered it up, making sure it was on the correct channel like Jon showed her. “Are you there? Jon, can you hear me?” Static. “Do you remember your promise? It’s time to come home now. You’re needed here, with me. Jon?” Static. 

Sansa wiped her eyes and went to rejoin Sam who sat where she’d left him, a pencil in his hand and a calculator nearby. “How goes it?”

“I have good news. I think we’ll have enough food. Margins are tight but we’re going to make it.” Sam dropped his pencil on the table to finally look at her. “Is something wrong?”

She put on her familiar painted smile. “That’s great news. I never doubted you.”

 

*****

Jon’s decision to turn north had been the right one. They’d stumbled upon some of the men in rags in one shithole town or another the day before and he’d sent Arya to trail them back to their camp. She’d been gone for over three hours, leaving him to rehearse an apology to the Starks for sending off their youngest daughter to be killed or captured. Instead, she’d skipped into the abandoned furniture store they were using and proudly announced she’d find their locusts.

He’d been right to use the term too, there was over a thousand of them. Their camp was an orderly one. Garbage was carried outside and dumped into holes. Tubs of water over the fires for mess kits and staying clean. Tents, the few of them they had, were laid in neat rows. There were sentries too but it was wrong somehow. The sentries were focused inwards, towards the camp. No one was paying attention, or even looking out for the four spies who sat on a ridgeline above them. They were armed too, and not with hunting rifles. Something more than military discipline was driving the people below and Jon needed to know what that was.

“See that garbage hole? It’s next to the tree line.” They would need to wait but he could be patient. “Arya?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m going.” 

All they needed was one, he reminded himself. Then, home and Winterfell. She returned less than twenty minutes later. “Well?”

“We could walk there singing the latest pop hits and I don’t think anyone would notice. I saw people on guard duty but they were paying attention to what was going on inside the camp. I passed within a couple feet of one of the guards. ”

What he expected. “I want you to wait for us back at the truck,” he told Loras. “If we aren’t back by the time it gets dark, go back to Winterfell.”

“I’m not running away,” he protested.

“You wouldn’t be running away. You’d be saving lives.” Especially your sister’s. If they were caught, they’d probably end up dead.

Loras’ expression turned mulish but he did as told, leaving Jon and Grenn to follow Arya to one of the garbage holes. They squatted behind a few narrow trees and an hour passed. Then two. His legs were cramping up. His left knee throbbed. Arya made faces at him, reminding him of her sister. 

Finally, a young man with golden hair that looked as if someone had taken a dull knife and hacked at it, came up. He was alone and dressed in rags. Perfect, Jon thought. He counted and gave the signal. Arya shot out first and tripped him. Grenn followed after and bodily forced him back into the trees. Arya picked up the refuse bag and disappeared back into the trees. The whole thing was a matter of seconds. 

Jon studied the camp but no one had noticed a thing. He couldn’t decide what frightened him more, their confidence or the suggestion they were right to be confident. 

“Hold him down,” he ordered. “Hi, I’m Jon. What’s your name?” he asked evenly.

No answer. Only eyes turned black with fear.

“I have five questions. If you answer them, then I’ll let you come with us if you want. Do you want to escape?”

The man’s movements slowed. He didn’t want to be there  Jon wondered who else in that camp wasn’t there by choice. The man nodded. Easier than Jon would have guessed, it’d taken only a single vague offer.

“Who is in charge?”

“The Corporal. I don’t know his name. Him and the man who says he’s the High Septon now.” 

Wonderful combination. Jon tried to hide his disgust. “Are all of you military?”

“Only a few are. Most of us are sparrows. Our only purpose is to serve now,” he said, voice breaking over the last couple words. Jon thought it sounded closer to slavery. 

He also liked crows better, always had. An underappreciated bird. “Do you know what those in charge are planning?”

“The High Septon says we are the gods’ chosen people and he is their prophet. His mission is to take us to the lands promised by the gods so he can make the world new again.” 

The high fucking sparrow. Jon wanted to laugh. The world dies and this is what it inspires. “Do you know where the promised land is?” He already knew the answer. Like he’d told Sansa, a simple map would answer the question. 

“Winter Falls or Winter’s Hall. Something like that.”

Jon motioned to Arya and Grenn. “Let him go.”

“Where are you from? Are you really going to take me with?” The poor man was on his knees, begging. 

“Winterfell,” Jon answered. He pulled the knife he always kept in his boot and stabbed the him the throat. He’d never gotten his name. “I’m sorry for lying but I can’t leave you here and I can’t trust you to come with us.” The knife he’d used was left from his military days, with a black hilt and the Night’s Watch insignia. 

Arya closed the dead man’s eyes. “He’s gone. Now what?”

“Let’s hope that knife makes them think one of their own did this. As for us, it’s time to go home.”

“Why didn’t you ask how long it would be until they come?”

“He was the one taking out the trash. He wouldn’t know,” Grenn answered for him. That and Jon guessed they only had a couple minutes more, at most. 

They returned to Loras and rode north. That night, he made a final radio call.

“How’s the weather?” asked Davos.

“The storm is raging and will probably get worse.”

“Let’s hope it stays away then.”

“Negative. The storm is moving north.”

“I’ll tell mom and dad.” 

Jon didn’t ask for his wife. Their next conversation would be in person. 

They moves steadily, stopping only to steal gas and sleep. Two days later, they crossed the county line into a dark and sleeping Winterfell. They drove to the Stark house and crept inside. Grenn and Loras collapsed onto random pieces of furniture and were asleep within seconds. Jon slipped into Sansa’s bedroom where he knew she would be. 

He couldn’t see her in the darkness, not even the outline of her body where she slept. He could hear her breathing though. He could smell her too, floral and sweet. 

Jon sat on the bed and brushed her hair. “Sansa, wake up.” He stroked along her jawline and down her neck.

She jerked suddenly and sat up. “Jon? Is that you?” Her voice was thick and slurred from sleep.

“It’s me.” Sansa was in his arms and he felt the warmth of her body against his. He tightened his grip even as he told himself she wasn’t going to leave. “I’m back.”

“You came back. I missed you so much.”

“I missed you.” 

Jon meant to kiss her but realized she was sniffing at him. “You stink.”

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Note: I updated both Ch. 18 and Ch. 19 at the same time. If you didn't read Ch. 18 before, this won't make sense to you.

“You stink.”

He probably did. “Sorry.” 

Jon felt movements and realized Sansa was pulling herself out from under the blankets. “I don’t care, you’re back. I’ll take you smelly and gross.”

“Am I that bad?”

“Yes.” She must not have minded overly much because she kissed him then and Jon lost himself in it. He didn’t know if they were giving each other comfort or a hint of what else was to come. Jon pulled so she faced him, practically sitting in his lap. One of her fingers scratched at his beard and he smiled even as their kiss went on. He was home, finally. 

Finally, they broke away and part of him wanted them to stay like that forever, cocooned up together. Maybe he should still take her and head up into the mountains. “I take it you missed me.”

“Of course I did. Can you stay here all night or do we have to wake everyone up for an emergency summit?”

Jon let himself smile over her attempt at levity; he’d missed that too. It wasn’t Edd’s mirthless dry wit or Arya’s deadpan manner. Sansa mostly used humor to cheer him. “The emergency summit can wait until the morning. Is there any light in here? I haven’t had a good look at my wife yet.” Sansa fumbled to find the small flashlight on her nightstand which she immediately clicked on to set about lighting a few candles. Her hair was an uncombed mess and she only wore a single piece of clothing. “That’s my shirt you have on.” 

“Why do you think I’m wearing it?”

She wanted a part of him with her. That comforted him in a way too. “I should have taken one of your dresses.”

“You’d have looked stunning in one of my spring florals.” She started tugging at the jacket he still wore. “Get undressed. We’re going to clean you up and then have a sleepover.”

Like a slumber party? “But we’re married.”

She started playing with his beard again, making Jon wonder just how bad he looked. “I need my husband and I think you need your wife. I’ll be right back.” Sansa kissed his temple and left the room. 

Jon stripped off his clothes and threw them on the floor. He didn’t bother looking for anything clean either, they wouldn’t be needed until the morning. She was right, he did need his wife. Jon had envisioned a quick fuck before falling asleep curled up next to her. He didn’t intend to burden her with all he’d seen but he needed more than that.

“Robb and Margaery are awake. I told him he’s forbidden to see you until the morning.” She carried in a tray with a large pot of water and plate. “The water is cold but I didn’t want to take the time to warm it up.”

He’d been somewhere between slightly damp and sodden wet for the past few weeks. Next to that, a pot of cold water wasn’t much at all but Jon didn’t want to tell her that. “Thank you.” She’d brought soap and a washcloth too.

“Are you hungry? I cut a couple slices of bread and put butter on them for you. We made homemade butter, can you believe it?”

Jon took several quick bites. The idea of Sansa making butter while he was gone bothered him in some way though. “It’s probably best you don’t know what we did for food.”

“I have some idea,” she said quietly. “People tell me things when they come here. They tell me what it’s like.”

He finished eating and started to wash. He wouldn’t be sparkling clean when it was done but he could be more presentable for her at least. Sansa stayed quiet while her eyes followed his every movement. It wasn’t from desire. Jon could kick himself; she’d immediately started caring for him and he’d ended up missing the signs.  “What’s wrong?”

His question must have pushed her over. Sansa’s eyed squeezed shut as she bit down on her lip but neither effort made a difference. Her chin quivered and one tear fell and then another. “I tricked poor Gared into going to jail and then I made Robb angry and I said your name. Then I found Sam’s books but there are so many of them. And you were gone and you weren’t here.”

Jon tricked a man with an offer of rescue before killing him, he didn’t think any of this sounded so bad. He’d known she didn’t want him to leave, Sansa had made that very clear, but he’d comforted himself with the knowledge that she would be safe in Winterfell. He’d pictured her grinning every time she was congratulated over their marriage or curled up with a book in the evenings. Instead, she’d listened to several versions of the same story and worried about him all the while. She’d probably walked around with a permanent smile until her face cramped up too. He also wondered who Gared was.

Jon placed the tray’s remnants on their dresser. “Come here,’ he said but rather than wait for a response he pulled her into her arms. Sansa almost collapsed against him, enough that he ended up carrying some of her weight. He walked backward until his legs hit the bed and sat, pulling her into his lap as he did so. He was at a loss. Knowing what to say or how to navigate this sort of situation was her skill, not his. Sansa’s face was pressed against his chest which muffled her sobs but didn’t stop her body’s shaking. Eventually, the tears slowed and she lay against him, limp and spent. “I’m back now. You feel better?” he whispered. It was all Jon could think to say. 

“Yes, a little,” she said but her voice was muffled. Jon tipped her chin back so he could wipe the tears away. There was snot too but he hoped she didn’t notice. His wife would be horrified. “I don’t want you to ever leave again.”

That was a promise he couldn’t make. “I don’t particularly want to leave again either.” Jon searched for something else to say. He wanted to get at least one laugh from her before they talked over the rest of it. “We could give everyone the middle finger and run away somewhere.”

Sansa snorted. It wasn’t quite a laugh but he’d take it. “We could go to Dorne. I bet we could see the sun in Dorne.”

If he knew how to get to Dorne or had any reason to believe they would find refuge there, he’d be tempted to do exactly that. It was probably covered by the ocean though, he couldn’t remember if there were any mountain ranges in Dorne or not. There were ranges closer to home, he’d considered that escape plan more once. If Jon were honest, he still hadn’t dismissed it.  “I bet we could.” He wiped at her cheek one more time but it was dry. “How about we do your sleepover idea and talk some more?” 

“Yes, please.” 

They moved until the two of them were under the blankets with his back against the headboard. Sansa climbed over so she half lay against chest with her legs on the bed itself. Jon put his arms around her and squeezed. “Take my shirt off.” Jon started to tug at the t-shirt she wore. “We aren’t doing anything yet but we both-,” he started to explain.

“Need the contact,” she finished for him. Sansa pulled it off and flung it onto the floor before twisting so her chest lay against his. Jon didn’t think the position could be all that comfortable but he was enjoying her so close and decided to stay quiet. “Even in the first couple days, when we were traveling here, I was mad at you but I was glad you were with me too. I was glad that it was you who came for me. I wanted you to know that.”

Jon remembered the first couple days. She’d flitted from one emotion to the other; it’d been a struggle to keep up. “I was glad too. I’m going to tell you something now, maybe I should have told you earlier.” He glanced down but the candlelight dimmed her features just enough and he wasn’t nearly as good at picking up on people’s moods as she was. “I was glad but for different reasons than you. You were coming back to Winterfell and I knew that leaving would never be an option so I told myself it gave me permission to try and get you back.”

She laughed, a little bemused laugh. “You think I haven’t figured that out yet? Newsflash, you’re a simple guy, Jon Snow.”

“Maybe I am. Are you going to tell me more about what’s wrong now?”

“I already told you.”

She’d left him confused. “Okay, tell me what’s got Robb upset first then.”

“You’re going to pick his side,” she said accusingly. “Here goes. There was no one around to decide who to let in so I changed the rules. Edd didn’t want to and neither of you were there so I started letting everyone in.”

She was right, he was taking Robb’s side. They’d put rules in place for a reason with the first one being they lacked the food. Jon clenched his jaw tight and waited a couple beats before answering, “I hope a few were of use and Robb needs the occasional knocking down a peg.” He could fix it easily enough. 

“I found a doula.”

What the fuck was a doula? “Good to hear.”

“I tried to call you once with the radio but I said your name and told you it was time to come home.” Her voice broke over the last couple words. Jon pictured her sitting alone and trying to reach out. It was a painful image and a guilt-inducing one. 

“Did you mention Winterfell itself?”

“No, at least I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure I didn’t. Were people listening to us?”

“I doubt it. That was a precaution more than anything else.” Even if she did mention Winterfell, it wouldn’t have made a difference. They had an army coming no matter what. He’d been thinking about what could be done about it during the entire return trip but no final decision could be made until he knew about Sam’s bombs, among many other things. His news could wait until morning anyway. Sansa needed him and he’d promised the day they were married he would listen more. He meant to keep that promise. 

“Good. You’ll need to talk with poor Gared too. He likes talking to me more than anyone else but I think he’ll speak to you since you met him.”

Jon’s brow wrinkled with confusion. “Not sure I’ve had the pleasure of meeting poor Gared.”

“We met him in the woods, don’t you remember?” Sansa went on to recount how Gared, former Night’s Watch member, came to reside in Winterfell’s sole jail cell. “He’s not a bad person, Jon, he really isn’t. He’s...broken and sad. He likes to read comic books. A couple days ago, he asked me if we would ever let him out but I didn’t have an answer for him. He didn’t do anything wrong and I made him a prisoner. How could I do that?” Jon felt a tear on his chest. She’d start crying again if he wasn’t careful.

“He’s warm and being fed. You’ve done a lot for him, Sansa.” Besides, Jon had killed a prisoner because he needed too. At least Gared was alive. He also might help fill in the gaps of what Jon had learned while they were gone, that would justify the trouble of keeping him around. “Believe me, the food isn’t great on the road.”

She flicked his chest and then kissed the same spot. “I know. Your little travel band came home with pickles. I hate pickles.”

He’d tried to find something with lemon in it for her with no luck. “Not so bad.”

“Will you tell me something about your travels? You told us so little when you checked in. Tell me something.”

“It’s wet and rainy.” That earned him a second and well-deserved snort. It was a non-answer but she was already upset and he did not want to make it worse. The world had drowned, that was the simple truth. “It’s true. Lots of newly created ponds and lakes. Flooded streets and buildings. The further south it went, the worse it got.”

“The Hammer of the Waters.”

“That’s an old religious myth, Sansa. It isn’t real.”

“It could be.”

“We had the bad luck to be hit with giant chunks of rock and ice from outer space. It’s not a punishment for the sins of humanity.” Besides, that idea was frighteningly close to what he’d learned of the locust army. It was unsettling to hear his wife speak it, especially as Sansa had been his voice of hope since the beginning. 

“Tell me something else.”

“It smells bad. Like mud that has laid buried for over a thousand years and suddenly dug up.” It stank of death and decay too. “We saw giant goldfish, former pets I guess. They taste like fish.”

Sansa’s nose wrinkled with distaste. Jon craned his neck to kiss it and started to idly stroke along her back so he could feel the little bumps in her spine. She squirmed against him and nuzzled into the spot where his shoulders and chest met. “I missed this.”

“Talking?”

“Touching you. They’re coming, aren’t they?”

Sansa’s sudden question threw him. “Yes, they are.” Jon braced himself for more. He didn’t want to lie but he didn’t want to add to her worries either, at least not right then. “We found a fishing camp while we were gone; even stayed a night with them.”

“People camping next to fish?” Her tone made him chuckle. The world ended but she made it sound as if this was the true oddity.

“Not directly next to them, no. The fish are kept in a lake. The point is that people are starting over and they’re still going.”

“Oh, I like that. Thank you for telling me.” He also got another kiss on the chin as a reward.

“Can I ask you a question now?”

“What do you want to know?” Another kiss. Her mood improved the longer they spoke even if their conversation wasn’t always the most joyous of subjects. She’d needed him as much as he needed her and that comforted him too.

“When did you realize you loved me?” Jon had wondered for a while. 

Sansa scooted so she lay completely on him before taking his arms to wrap around her waist. “You’re a simple man, Jon Snow. Haven’t you figured it out yet? I’m a simple girl.”

He couldn’t think of a better answer. “I missed you.”

“We’ll go home again tomorrow night.” And be a normal couple who plays board games he silently finished for her. 

“I’d like that. Come here.”

Sansa wagged her head in an effort to shake back some of her hair. It didn’t work, the strands fell to envelope both of them. “Is this where we start the kissing ?”

“Gods, I hope so.” Jon pulled himself up to reach her lips. His hands slid lower to squeeze the soft flesh that rested on him. Jon kissed her, wanting to tell her how much he’d missed her, how much he’d ached for her while he’d been gone. Sansa’s lips were as firm and eager as his own. He loved her. He was hungry and desperate for her. “You ready?” he breathed against her lips.

“Ready for what?”

Jon raised his hips and flipped the two of them, enjoying her surprised yelp. “For that.” He grabbed one of her legs to settle it over his hips even as he went back to kissing her. Jon felt dizzy with need now. He told himself to be good and slow down but that voice was faint and distant. He kissed her neck and behind her ear and lower, scraping with his teeth and sucking. Her nails raked down his back as she ground against him. Jon could feel the slick wetness of her folds with every torturous movement. His urgency grew into a frenzy.

“Hurry up, Jon. Make love to me.”

Jon entered her slowly, reveling in in the feel of her warmth around him. He loved the way she stretched for him, as if she was pulling him into her body. He groaned, wanting to enjoy the moment. “Making love is round two,” he answered roughly.

“What’s round one?”

He thought the answer was obvious. “Fucking.” Sansa rocked her hips against him a couple of times as an answer. It was enough for him. He pulled one of her legs further up his body and plunged into her. 

Sansa’ breath hitched and Jon repeated the motion. His hands wandered, touching her hair and hips and between her legs. Sansa bit down on his shoulder and Jon felt his control shattering. He thrust into her, needy and fierce. Their bed shook from the force of his motions and he could hear the springs creaking but Jon couldn’t bring himself to care. He’d been aching for his wife and he had her again. 

Jon reached between her legs to rub her clit, wanting to help her to her peak. He kissed and sucked at that spot by her lobe that he knew she loved. Sansa choked out his name and Jon thrust a few more times, grunting as he came. Sansa’s gaze never left his through it all. The dim candlelight made it difficult to see the blue of her eyes but there was no mistaking the blown pupils or her love.

His skin was slick with sweat and he knew there would be a few red lines on his back in the morning. Jon felt a certain smug pride over it. He kissed her again, more slowly this time. They were both going to be exhausted the next day. Good, he thought, that meant early to bed. 

“Stay here like this,” she said, her voice gone languid and relaxed.

He dropped another kiss on her lips. “I’m not going anywhere. Give me a few minutes.”

“We’re going to see it again.”

It took him a few heartbeats to understand what she meant. Sansa wasn’t saying it to be positive or reassuring. “We will. One day, we’ll watch the sun rise again.” He believed it too.

 


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place the very next morning after the previous chapter without any break in chapter.

Sansa burrowed closer to her husband, the long length of his body was heaven next to hers. She was content and warm and relaxed. “That tickles,” she protested rather half-heartedly and shrugged her shoulder for good measure.

“What? When I do this?” Jon rubbed his whiskered chin against her bare shoulder and then kissed the same spot. “Is this better?”

She hummed, pretending to deliberate. “I can’t decide.”

“Guess I’ll keep it up.” He started rubbing along her shoulder blade.

Sansa twisted her neck as much as she could to kiss him. Jon moved the slightest amount and they kissed again, one of many since waking a good while ago. She didn’t know or care how long it’d been, the rest of the world could go without Jon and Sansa a little longer. “Your lips are swollen.”

“So are yours.”

Sansa bit her lip in an effort to stop a silly grin but it was no use. Her mouth was not listening to her brain. It was an odd thing really, she’d grown used to not having him in her life but then he’d slipped back in so easily, as if he’d been there all along. She’d taken every comfort he could offer during their drive to Winterfell and every night since. Sansa had not realized the degree she depended upon his presence until he’d left. The previous night, she’d pressed herself against him, eager to take in Jon’s body as much as she could. She was still trying.

“Do you think anyone misses us?” Not that she cared.

“Miss us? I think it’s more likely they are avoiding us, considering.”  Jon lightly tugged at the strands of her hair, separating and pulling them to the side to kiss the nape of her neck. Sansa pressed even further against him until Jon put a leg over hers.

“Considering what?” The house was quiet, it was an even deeper sort of quiet than when power used to go out during a rainstorm. Refrigerators and all the other sounds of modern life were completely gone and, to her, it was as if the house forgot what those sounds were like. A few times, they’d hear the soft pitter-patter of feet on wood floors passing by but that was it.

Jon stopped his kisses, to her great disappointment, and snickered. “Considering we’re married and I’ve been gone for a month. It couldn’t be more obvious than if I hanged a sock or tie off the doorknob.”

“Mr. Jonathan Snow,” she said with feigned outrage before sticking her tongue out. Jon tried to bite it.

“Gods, I love it when you call me that. Come here.” Sansa craned her neck further and they kissed, slow and loving, as they had so many times since he’d woken her the previous night.

Jon pulled himself up, taking care their mouths were still joined together. Sansa settled back on the bed and he covered her body with his own. Their movements were languid and unhurried, very different than their first frenzied coupling during the night. She’d realized afterward as much as she needed to reestablish their intimacy, Jon had as strong an urge for them to obtain a physical release.

Sansa stared up at her husband, with his long, solemn face. His eyes, even when amused, had a seriousness to them that never quite disappeared. Jon’s hair was a mess and full of more knots that she cared to think on. He’d never looked more handsome to her. “I love you.” She’d once tried to explain to him that, to her, their home was wherever they were together and he’d been gone for weeks.

“I love you too.” Jon settled between her legs and grabbed one of her thighs. Sansa wrapped them around his hips to pull him against her. “I’ll never get tired of hearing you say that.”

“Slow this time.”

“Slow this time.” Jon gently slid into her and they kissed.

Their lovemaking had a dreamlike quality to it, a coupling of easy touches and lazy movements. Sansa drowned in his body, in the feel and taste of him. She wanted to stay there forever. After, they lay together, limbs all twisted up, sated and limp.

“Do you remember our first time?” she asked.

“You mean that weekend?” Jon lifted his chin just enough to look up at her before collapsing back onto her chest. “Impossible to forget. You were naked in my bed and I woke up wondering how to keep you there. I thought about letting the air out of your tires.”

She woke up wondering how to stay. “Instead you offered me breakfast and a shower.”

“Then I joined you.”

Sansa didn’t know what brought the memory on, perhaps it was the innocence of it, or at least it seemed innocent compared to their current circumstances. “Did you know then we would end up here?”

“Not entirely. The comet was a real shock.” Sansa snorted with surprise at the levity in his statement before the two of them went quiet, content to lay in each other's arms a little longer. “We need to get up.”

“But I don’t want to,” she protested.

“If it helps at all, your brother is arranging to have everyone needed gathered here.”

“How do you know?”

“Less travel. More people here than elsewhere. I’m here. Also, I know how he thinks.”

Sansa couldn’t argue with that. “Another minute.”  She didn’t want to leave. Downstairs was Robb and Loras and more, asking him questions and planning. If so much as a whisper of Jon leaving was brought up, she’d forbid it.

Too soon, they were ready to leave their room’s sanctuary. She’d dressed in a wool skirt and sweater, nothing particularly fancy but Sansa wanted to indulge in some dress up for Jon. He wore his usual clothing but didn’t bother with socks. That comforted her more than his earlier statement, Jon truly wasn’t planning on leaving soon. Of course, that meant reality was returning much sooner too. “What didn’t you tell me last night?” At the time, Sansa’s relief over his return and the ability to finally speak with someone had been overwhelming. He’d asked what was wrong and she’d felt hit by a bus, or so the saying went. He’d told her some, but looking back, it was all designed to ease her worry more than anything else.

Jon finished pulling the Henley over his shoulders and stared at her cautiously. “I’m not keeping secrets.”

“I didn’t think you were,” she said quickly.

He sat beside her on the bed so she put her arms around his chest. “I was trying to listen last night. You’ll hear everything today, assuming you want too.”

The slip of paper he’d shared with her on their wedding day sat on the dresser. It was the very sort of thing she’d want framed and placed in their bedroom, a promise more heartfelt than any pretty speech. “I didn’t mean to cry last night. It wasn’t how I planned your homecoming.”

“Isn’t that what married couples do? Be vulnerable in front of each other.”

“You haven’t cried,” she pointed out.

“No, I haven’t cried.” Jon pulled her close and buried his face in her hair, muffling his voice when he spoke. “Do you want to know what I did while gone?”

“Yes.”

“Loras is skilled but reckless and Arya waffled between shutting down and feeling a need to prove herself. I’ve known Grenn for years but he isn’t exactly a great communicator. So, I’d have conversations with you in my head. I’d hear your voice and try to guess what you’d say. It kept me going.”

She supposed everyone had their own way of coping in their new world, she’d noticed that pattern in the people she loved. Still, this was a particularly honest confession from Jon who tended towards cutting himself off. “I’m glad not-me helped.”

“It did. Shall we go?”

Enough honesty from him that morning, Jon meant. “Let’s go eat.”

He kissed her one last time and she bit back a plea for them to stay hidden away, even if only for another hour. It wouldn’t be fair of her. Instead, they went down the stairs together, holding hands and grinning like newlyweds the day after their wedding. She supposed that was partially correct. As predicted, everyone else was awake and waiting for them. Arya was still dressed in pajamas while Grenn looked to have on ill-fitting clothes borrowed from Robb. The Tarlys were over too. Without fail, every set of eyes were on them and Sansa recalled Jon’s statement about a sock on the doorknob.

“I’d hoped to see you earlier,” said Robb to Jon, rather pointedly in her opinion.

“Well, I didn’t,” said Margaery.

“Shall we eat?” she asked, deciding to ignore it all.

Her friend laughed. “We did. An hour ago.”

Was it as late as that? “Oh.”

“I kept oatmeal warmed for the two of you.” Her mother held out two soup mugs filled with oatmeal. There was even a sprinkling of brown sugar on top.

Every seating surface was occupied so they sat on the floor by the coffee table to eat their meal. Sansa struggled not to repeatedly touch Jon while they ate. She felt like a little girl swooning over her first crush again, excited over the prospect of being so close to a boy.

Catelyn Stark focused on her family with a level of care that sometimes worried Sansa. Bran and Rickon insisted on approaching their roles as great adventures while Margaery refused to discuss her missing family. She recalled Jon’s description of Loras as reckless. They were all coping in their own way. What was she doing? Forced cheer that denied the realities of their lives? She did not want to think on it.  Not with her family all around and Jon returned to her.

She rested her hand on his knee several times while they ate, uncaring of who noticed. She had her husband back and, for a little while, Sansa wanted to be a giddy young girl over the boy she loved.

“Sansa? Are you listening to me?”

She blinked her revelry away. “I’m listening.”

“No, love, you aren’t. I asked if you were finished. Robb and I are going to clean up.” Jon took her empty mug and with a quick peck on the cheek, headed into the kitchen.

The room slowly cleared out until there was only her, Gilly, Margaery, and her mother. Jon had guessed correctly, whatever discussion were taking place that day would be at the Stark home. There would be no travelling in to town for them.

“This is nice,” she announced to the room at large.

Margaery smirked. “Us avoiding our responsibilities?”

“Sitting with nothing to do.” It would eventually grow more frequent. Winter would mean less travelling around the county; visits to neighbors would grow more rare too. Without cars and ways to clear roads, a time would come when people would bunker down to await spring. That could present its own set of problems she’d not considered before. How would people react to an almost forced confinement on their property? The same as they did before modern convenience. The idea troubled her.

The front door opened and she heard men’s deeper voices but they did not join them in the living room. Sansa didn’t care.

“That will be Edd and Mr. Seaworth,” Margaery explained. “Bran was sent in to town early this morning to get them out here.”

Jon guessed correctly. “Security arrangements, I’ll bet.” She picked up an old home decorating magazine and thumbed through the pages before changing her mind. “They need me.” She set the magazine back where it laid on the coffee table and stood.

She made it all of three steps. Jon appeared before her with a glass of water in hand and others behind him. “Where are you going?”

“Stretching my legs,” she lied and ignored Margaery’s quiet snort.

“Come sit by me.” Jon led her to the love seat. He’d chosen it so no one could join them, she realized.

Sansa was a giddy little girl again but told herself to stop. Outwardly, she succeeded. The room reminded her of friends gathering for a holiday more than anything else. Through a nearby window, she could see out to a cloudy gray sky. Overcast but no rain since waking up, Sansa thought it might be the longest break yet. It wasn’t a holiday though, there was no music or game on the television. No snacks or coffee were offered. She suspected Jon and Robb would slip away to share a glass of Scotch before the day was done though. They weren’t sitting without responsibilities.

“Before anything else, the Karstarks gave in yesterday afternoon,” said Davos. Sansa glanced through the room, it was news to everyone but Edd. This was the difficulty now, even with close distances, information could be slow moving. “We inventoried them yesterday.” In another life, Davos Seaworth had been an accountant. With his graying hair and bifocals that tended to slide down his nose, he looked the part.

“Anything of use?” her brother asked.

“Not likely.” Jon shared a meaningful look with Arya that made Sansa think of something from a spy movie. She almost dismissed her instinct before remembering Jon’s tendency towards distrust. She would ask him about that later.

Davos pulled a sheet from his stack of papers. “Oil, some canned goods, a small amount of cattle feed, seed, the usual household goods, and not much else.”

“I guess we will get some fighting men out of the deal,” said Robb morosely. His features were equally gloomy.

Jon said nothing at all.

Sansa did not consider Rickard Karstark a bad or unfeeling man, merely frightened over the world everyone lived in now. Some men were like Jon, taking stock of the world’s wreckage and deciding to get on with it. Two weeks back, Donnel Wull disappeared from his family’s home and was found the next day walking naked down main street with tears on his face. Old Dr. Luwin said it was trauma and survivor’s guilt. She heard others call it comet madness.

“This is good news. It means our efforts are paying off.” If hostile Rickard Karstark saw the wisdom in what they were doing, Sansa fully intended to make use of that. Once, she’d suspected the Karstark clan of being a potential source of trouble but she was more than pleased to be wrong this one time.

“It means they used up what little they had and now want help,” said Robb.

“It means they take a lot and all we get from the bargain is a few men with hunting skills that are fair at best. We’ve got plenty of those, we don’t need more,” said Jon.

That wasn’t completely true. “We need places to stick people. They have a house, barn, and stables. I’d say there is plenty of time to convert those to living spaces. They can play host to so many they are outnumbered.”

“They have enough space to take in maybe fifty people,” said Davos. Sansa silently thanked him for the support.

Jon pulled away from her in order to lean forward in his seat. “I thought we had housing solved.”

“We did. Ask your wife about that,” Robb bit out.

They were back to this argument again. It was the right thing to do and Sansa would not apologize for it. “If we have the means to help people then we should do so. You should be thanking me.”

“For what? A hundred extra mouths to feed?”

Sansa ignored her brother’s sarcasm. “For a doula, for two women who know spinning. Two more who are nursing. Mr. Redwyne who has done brewing as a hobby for over a decade and another who knows how to make bows. The only reason we have any of this is because I took the time to talk and know the refugees as people.” Not everyone could clear a field or go to war, everything else was required too.

“Why do we need nursing women?” Jon started to ask before waving a hand across his chest. “I thought all women had the capabilities.” He spoke so awkwardly, Sansa would laugh in other circumstances.

“There is hardly any formula and we can’t assume more will be coming in our scavenging expeditions.”

“Some women need help. I can go into more detail on lactation if you want,” Catelyn chimed in. The men all wore matching expressions, discomfort and an unwillingness to refuse her offer. Davos and Sam were merely amused. “Either way, your father would be proud, Sansa.”

Robb would bring it up again but Sansa didn’t care. She was enjoying her temporary victory.

Jon abruptly took her hand to slide his thumb across her palm. “It doesn’t matter,” he whispered so only she could hear. “We need to cut our rations,” he said to everyone else.

“Why? Even with the new...additional changes, we have enough. I’ve been tracking it all,” said Sam. It was the first time he’d spoken. She’d come to learn Sam took great offense when doubted over particular topics.

Jon squeezed her hand again before releasing it. He’d wanted comfort from her rather than offering it. The realization worried her more than his earlier statement did. “All our efforts so far have been defensive. Patrols, watchtowers, and drilling. We made the decision to prepare for winter over anything else.”

This was what he’d delayed telling her earlier. She should probably be annoyed but all Sansa felt was gratitude.

The earlier hundred mouths was forgotten. Robb sat straighter with his shoulders stiff. Margaery briefly grazed his calf from where she sat next to him. “How bad is it?”

Jon’s jaw tightened. “We’ve got close to a thousand people heading our way. It’ll be more than that, hundreds more I expect, by the time they arrive.”

The air in the room grew so heavy it seemed everyone’s shoulders fell at once. Sansa forced herself to ask, “How long?”

“Two weeks if we’re lucky. Probably less than that,” said Arya.

“How are they going to transport that many people so far?” asked Robb.

“They have gas stores. Lots of it.” Jon’s neck snapped to stare at Arya. “I snuck into their camp the first time.”

“You weren’t supposed to do that. Orders were to find their location only,” Jon spat.

“That’s why I didn’t tell you. I knew you wouldn’t let me go out again.”

Whatever little joviality was in the room with them was now completely gone. Less than an hour later, Jon took off to begin what she teasingly called his war councils. Jon rolled his eyes and kissed her goodbye. Sansa passed the remainder of the day preparing food, the perfect activity to let her mind wander. Jon already decided all efforts not related to his war should cease. The more she thought about it, the more she disagreed.

“Margaery, how would you feel about a party?”

“Tonight? I don’t think that leaves much time for planning.”

“A month from now. The school cafeteria would be big enough, I think.” It didn’t need to be a large feast. Some food, music, and lanterns.

“What are we celebrating?”

“Everything and I want you to organize it.”

Her friend smirked. “You want me to organize it because you think Robb is more likely to agree.”

“Am I wrong?”

“No.”

Later, she and Jon were hidden away in their bedroom once more, fully clothed this time. “We’ll be going home after dinner.”

Jon closed his eyes with relief. “Thank the gods. I don’t mind being here but I want us at home too.”

“I know.” Sansa had been mulling over whether all of them, including the Tarlys, should spend winter in the Stark household. Jon would do it to please her but he wouldn’t enjoy it. As much as her family was his, he needed the space. He’d also balk at leaving his family home vacant for so long. That evening was not the time to bring it up either way.

“I’m also going to be very busy for the next couple weeks.” As if to illustrate the point, tiredness fell over his features.

“I know that too and I’ve decided to have a party.”

Jon’s eyes sharpened with something akin to panic. “Do I have any responsibilities for it, hosting or otherwise?”

“None at all.”

“Then it’s a great idea. What are we celebrating?”

She bit back a laugh; Margaery asked the same question but Jon would require a deeper explanation. “Our survival and our future. All the children still to come. Our winter harvest.”

“The children still to come. That sounds nice,” he said longingly.

She shoved him playfully. Sansa did not want any melancholy in that moment. “You know my birth control won’t last forever, right?”

Jon’s expression answered that question. “Shit, are you pregnant?” He abruptly stood and ran his fingers through his hair.

Sansa didn’t bother holding back her laughter this time. “No, I’m not pregnant. I am saying we’ve got two months of supply left and we’ll need to talk soon. It’ll be celibacy, going for it, or the rhythm method, I guess.”

“It’s cute that you think celibacy is an option.”

“I thought you might say that.”

Jon sat back on the bed close enough so their thighs touched. She leaned into him. “In two months, I guess we’ll talk about it.”

“I guess we will. We’re going to survive, you know. I don’t mean the next few months either. I mean next year and the year after that.”

“I believe you.” The wistfulness in his voice made her heart ache. Still, Jon would not have said that in the early days.

“We should go eat, everyone is waiting for us.”

“It’s also cute that you think we’re leaving this room so soon.”

 


End file.
